Hostage
by dontcatchme
Summary: Troy Bolton comes home from the most amazing night, only to find himself, and later his girlfriend, Gabriella Montez, being held captive by two enraged gunman with a devious plot and more than a little unrequited revenge in store.
1. Introduction: Normal Day

**Hostage: **

**Introduction; Normal Day**

Today seemed like a complete normal day to Troy Bolton. He got up at a reasonable hour. Brushed his teeth. His Hair. And, overall prepared for the day's events.

Today was supposed to be the best day of his life. And it couldn't have started out more perfectly. As soon as he arrived at East High, where he attended high school, it seemed like the heavens had opened up to see Jesus himself. But they hadn't. It was Troy. Troy's life had always been like that. Ever since he was a kid, as soon as he would enter a room, people would stare and smile at him. Completely halting what they were doing so they could turn to see him perfectly. And today was no different.

When he walked through the halls people greeted him with cheerful smiles plastered on their faces, always saying 'good morning' or simply offering him a good old handshake or pat on the back. And he returned it graciously.

You see, Troy had always been the popular guy in school. The one who everyone likes and gets along with. The one that girls are madly in love with and would die to have. The one who guys envied like mad and wanted to hate him terribly. But they couldn't. He was just too likeable. From his irresistible 'Bolton' charm, his contagious laugh and smart yet child-like wit. Everything about Troy was enchanting.

"Hey hoops!" came in all too familiar voice.

Troy turned and gave his friend a winning grin. "Hey Chad, what's up?"

Chad smiled and spun the basketball that he was holding close to his chest on his fingertips like it was the easiest trick in the book. "What's up? I'll tell you what's up! My algebra score, that's what!" He through the ball up in the air in triumph.

Troy laughed. "Glad to here it, dude. I knew you could if you just applied yourself."

"Apply myself? You sound like-"

"Hey," came a seductive but sweet voice from behind them.

Troy's smile immediately got wider.

"Speak of the devil" Chad muttered to himself.

"Hey yourself." He tried to sound sexy, but came out sounding awkward and flimsy. He laughed at himself and Gabriella laughed along with him. He smiled at her and sweetly pecked her on the lips.

"How are you today babe?"

"I had to stay up all night to finish my English homework, and now I'm dead tired." She whined and placed a hand over her eyelids.

Troy smiled at her sweetness. It was just like Gabriella to stay up all night with homework. For a grade she probably doesn't even need to worry about. Ever since he had met Gabriella in middle school, they had been inseparable. They spent almost every waking moment together. Whether it be shopping, schoolwork, watching movies, or just being with each other. It didn't matter, as long as they were together. Then, in the summer before tenth grade. Troy had took a huge step. He asked Gabriella to be his girlfriend. He had been so nervous about it too. Rehearsing for weeks, going over in his mind what he would say to her, Chad even had to come over to his house to help him rehearse a few times. Which, to say the least, Chad was not proud of. But it had all worked out in the end. Gabriella had happily agreed and they had been a match made in heaven ever since.

Gabriella met his eyes and they shared a cute stare at each other.

But then Chad cut in. "Hey, lovebirds. Uh, there are over six billion _other_ people on this planet you know. So why don't you spend a little bit of time looking at someone else for a change." Chad smirked to himself at his witty remark.

"Someone else like _you_ Chad?" Gabriella asked hesitantly.

Chad shrugged, but he knew that was what he was referring to.

"We would, but your hairs too big, it would blind us, and then we would never be able to look at the other six billion people." Troy said as he gave his afro-friend a pat on the back.

Chad glared at his best friend while Troy and Gabriella chuckled to themselves.

"Hey, your just mad cause you don't have "The Fro." He said using the nickname he had called his wild strings of hair since the fifth grade.

"Well, "the fro" better have his Math homework done or "The Fro's" master will be screwed." Gabriella warned.

"Don't you worry your pretty little head about it Gabs, I got it done." He smiled smugly at them as they stood waiting in front of him, as he fished for the paper out of his backpack. He pulled out the paper smoothly looking quite self-confident.

Gabriella took the paper from his hands and scanned it over carefully. She nodded approvingly and smiled to herself that Chad had finally gotten his homework done on time-for once.

Her eyes widened in fear as she looked at the top of the paper.

"Chad!" she yelped.

Chad turned from his cocky pose to look concerned at Gabriella.

"What?" he asked hurriedly.

She shoot him an annoyed look and shook the paper in his face.

"Chad" she said exasperated, "we were supposed to do problems 1-14, not page 114!"

Troy burst into laughter and Gabriella couldn't help but smirk. Although she was quite disappointed that Chad didn't do the right assignment. She wanted him to succeed, and by him getting detention every single day was not the way.

Chad took the paper in his hands and looked at it in horror.

"Oh my God! Now Mrs. Pingilton is gonna kill me!" he stared into the distance in horror.

"Well, she won't do anything she doesn't normally do. You know just the normal lecture and detention after school." Gabriella tried to be positive, but by the look on Chad's face, it obviously didn't help much.

Troy decided to steer the conversation in the way he really needed to focus on, because it was the most important-and hopefully the best- night of his life. Tonight he was going to tell Gabriella they had both gotten into Yale.

Ever since the beginning of senior year, that's all she had been talking about. It meant so much to her. Ever since she was a little girl, her and her mother had talked and talked about her attending Yale. The greatness of the school, its history, the place, everything about Yale she loved. So he wanted to be the one to give that to her. In January they had both applied together, praying that they would be accepted together. It didn't have to be said that they both knew Gabriella would be in for sure. She had the highest GPA in the school, was on the honor society and never was late in turning in an assignment. She had been waiting anxiously for the letter of acceptance, and after awhile, started to doubt that it would ever come. Secretly though, Troy had taken the acceptance letter with the okay from her mom, so he could tell her tonight that they had both gotten accepted-together.

He could barely contain his excitement. Each day he got closer and closer to spilling the beans. And each time he bit his tongue. This was just a testament to how hard it was for him to keep a secret from Gabriella. She knew something was going on that she didn't know about, but she didn't know the extent of it. And for that Troy was thankful.

He carefully switched the conversation to the topic of tonight, trying not to be obvious.

"So, Brie, have you heard about Yale yet?"

She huffed. "No, I'm starting to think that they're just not going to accept me, I mean come on, and if I had gotten in they would have told me already." She sighed looking depressed and hopeless.

Troy tried to be hopeful, he didn't want to spill his secret to Gabriella, but he really didn't want to make her feel hopeless or inadequate for Yale.

He signaled Chad from behind Gabriella for some help, because he had told Chad about all of this 2 weeks ago.

Chad thankfully caught his message before Gabriella turned to give them a confused look.

"No, no Gabs I'm sure that's not it." he tried to be reassuring.

Gabriella looked at him. "Oh, yeah? And how would you know?"

He quickly searched his brain for the words to explain, but unfortunately, with such a little head, comes slow speed.

"Uh, da…I, you know, know that, you know, your smart and everything, so I just figured that smart people go to smart colleges so, you know, you'd go too I guess…" with each word his voice got lower and lower until it was a mere whisper.

Troy gave him a stone-cold glance and looked back at Gabriella with a smile plastered on his face.

"Baby, I'm sure everything will be fine. I mean, why wouldn't they take you? Those people at Yale probably are just taking longer then usual, that's all." he quickly lied. Thank God for his acting skills.

"Really?" she looked a little bit more hopeful, but not yet content.

He smiled sweetly at her. "Yeah."

She broke into a smile and leaned up to kiss him gently on the lips.

"Thanks babe." With that she pranced off to her locker, for which they were walking by at this very moment.

Troy smiled at her until she was completely out of earshot. Then he focused his attention on the idiot standing in front of him.

He smacked him upside the head, which didn't really do anything because it was padded by his afro.

"What the hell is your problem dude?" he muttered angrily, "You almost let it slip!"

Chad rubbed his head even though the blow didn't really cause him any pain. "I know, sorry. I fumbled. You know me, when I have to think on the spot I don't do so well."

Troy looked at him exasperated "Duh, you think!?"

Troy sighed. "Well, thankfully the dinner is tonight so you can't ruin it for me, this has to be perfect." He sent Chad an evil glare. "Which means _you _can't mess it up."

Chad raised his hands up in defense. "Hey, alright, alright. I can do this, okay? I'm not like the biggest idiot on the face of the-"

Unfortunately, Chad and Troy had been in so deep in their conversation that they didn't notice they were being steered away from the crowded hallway and closer to the side, where the lockers are. And just as Chad had said that, he had run straight into an open locker. At least now Chad knows the definition of irony.

After Troy helped his friend up and dusted him off, they continued their conversation.

Later, as Troy was walking to his last class of the day, his stomach suddenly became a pile of raw nerves. He kept thinking the worst possible scenario. Maybe he should buy here something just in case she is mad, Troy thought. That wouldn't be a problem, he knew for sure. His family had a ton of money. They were actually one of the richest families in Albuquerque. Thankfully for Troy though, they had become rich after he was in high school, that way he had already established real friendships and not just people who wanted to get with him because of his money.

You see, Troy's father, Jack Bolton, was a major stockbroker. He brought in the cash for himself and his family and took it from other people. Some would call him greedy, some would call him trash bag, and some would call him the smartest person in the world. It didn't matter to him, as long as he was providing for his family. And what didn't matter to him didn't matter to Troy. After all, it was his father's business, not his. Who was he to go digging around in his father's personal matters?

So, for Troy, considering getting Gabriella a gift such as diamonds or pearls, was not a problem. And by the time he pulled up to the Montez's household to pick up Gabriella for dinner, where he would drop the bomb, he felt as though he might puke.

'Hold yourself together Troy' he silently urged himself. What's the worst that could happen?


	2. The Perfect Night

**Hey guys! First off, thank you so much for reading, I hope you all like the story so far!!!**

* * *

**At the Montez residence**

Troy knocked on the door swiftly and prayed a little prayer that everything would be okay tonight, and that as soon as Gabriella heard she had been accepted, she would rush into his arms and say he was the best boyfriend ever just like he had thought all along. Now he was seriously starting to doubt his thoughts.

What if Gabriella was actually irritated that Troy had kept this secret from her? What if she hated him for that and that when they went to the same college next year it would be completely awkward because Gabriella hated his guts?

No, no. Troy was being to paranoid, right? She could never hate his guts, right?

Before he could finish second thinking his actions, the door opened and Mrs. Montez appeared.

She was an attractive woman, with dark eyes and dark hair and skin similar to Gabriella's. She was also very meek and kind, also like Gabriella. That was one thing Troy admired about Mrs. Montez, who actually insisted Troy call her Maria, that she was extremely kind to her daughter and Troy.

She opened the door with a kind and meek smile on her face and sweetly invited Troy inside. She told Troy Gabriella was in her room and would be down in a few minutes, then excused herself back to her own bedroom. That was another trait Troy liked about her; she was never one to intrude on Gabriella and Troy and their relationship.

While he was going over each word in his head of exactly what he would say to Gabriella, he heard a door open and turned. Then his breath caught in his throat.

Gabriella descended from the stairs graceful as a gazelle. Troy took in her beauty. She was wear a gorgeous, lengthy red satin dress that highlighted her curves beautifully. Her long curly hair was pulled into a messy yet elegant bun that brought out her brown orbs.

Troy tried to smile at her, but could not yet contemplate thoughts.

"H-h-hi" he tried.

She smiled at him. "Hi sweetie, are you ready to go?" She reached the bottom of the stairwell and walked graciously over to him. She pecked him on the lips and he smiled at her, finally gaining control over his bodily functions again.

"You look beautiful" he said sincerely.

She blushed a bright shade of pink and held out her hand for them to walk out the door.

"You don't look to shabby yourself, stud."

He smiled at her joke. "Well, you know me, I do what I can."

She smiled again at him and they left the house.

* * *

"So, Troy, there has to be a reason you brought me here tonight." She said, trying to find out what he was up to.

"What?" Troy asked defensively, teasingly, "Can't I just enjoy a night with my beautiful girlfriend?"

She laughed at Troy's defensive look. "You can, but most of the time you don't take a girl to a five hundred dollar restaurant without at least a little bit of a motive."

He laughed again then his expression got serious. "Actually, I have something to tell you." He pushed their already eaten plates to the side, so he could get a clear view of Gabriella.

Gabriella looked at him playfully. "Oh no, your not coming out of the closet are you?" She giggled at her own joke while Troy chuckled along too.

"No, actually I have a surprise for you." He looked down at his bag that he had the restaurant keep for him that was now placed under the table.

"Gabby," he took his hands in hers, "I know how much Yale means to you. And, I love you so much that, I wanted to be the one to give that to you."

"What do you mean?" she asked confused.

"I mean," He took out her letter of acceptance, "You were accepted Brie."

She immediately snatched the paper from his hands and read it over carefully. When it was clear she was done, she screamed aloud from excitement, attaining the attention of the rest of the restaurant while doing so.

"Shh, Brie." he said smiling.

"Sorry. Oh my gosh, Troy! I was accepted?! How? When?"

"Well, the letter actually came about a month ago, but I took it because I wanted to surprise you and tell you we had both been accepted together." he smiled.

Her smile widened and she almost jumped out of seat.

"Troy! Are you serious?" she looked him in the eye to make sure he wasn't bluffing.

"Yes, of coarse!" he exclaimed, smiling at Gabriella's excitement.

"Oh, Troy. I was seriously starting to doubt that I would even get in. And, oh my gosh, we got in together? How amazing is that?!" she did a funny little seat hop on her chair to show her excitement, then curled up in laughter while Troy joined along.

"I'm glad your happy babe." he said sincerely.

**

* * *

**

Troy walked in to the familiar sound of silence. Typical. His parents were gone in the week in Hawaii vacationing again. This was about the second time this month.

Troy gawked at his parent's tactfulness of telling him.

"_Sweetie, we're gonna be gone for a few days, don't wait up!" _

They're so sweet, he thought bitterly. _At least I got to see Gabriella tonight_, he thought to himself. _She is really the only thing in my life that makes me happy._

He went to the freezer to find a bowl of ice cream and a spoon on the counter. That was always what he did-eat. It numbed the dreadful pain.

He took the spoon to the bowl and dug in. As soon as the ice cold food melt in his tongue, he felt better, he always did.

All of a sudden he heard a door close. He turned around instantly and wondered in one of their maids or housekeepers had still be here and he hadn't noticed. But all the lights were off all over the house-which seemed weird.

He set the bowl on the night table next to him and got up. He went down the hallway to where he heard the door. Then he saw it.

His parent's door was left open. But there was no one there. Weird again.

He was about to turn and head back to the living room, because he assumed it was the wind when it grabbed him.

They tackled him to the floor and pinned him down. It was all in such a rush that Troy didn't even get a chance to fight back. He lay there with a cold hand pressed to his face, holding him down and pinching his cheeks together.

He tried kicking and thrashing his arms, but that did no good. Because they were being held down too. He didn't know who was grabbing him, but all he could think of was calling for help.

"Hel-" he tried to scream but couldn't because they smashed his face harder.

It would have done no good anyway, he was all alone in the house and the nearest house to them was almost a block away. Thanks to 'private property'.

All of a sudden he was yanked to his feet in one cruel motion. He was then brought face to face with his attacker. He stared into his cold, icy eyes for a fraction of a second.

And in that second, he came face to face with his worst nightmare.

* * *

**Thanks for reading!!! You all are amazing!!!! :)**


	3. Nightmare

**At the Bolton Household**

Troy awoke in complete darkness.

Disoriented and in pain from a blow to his head, he tried with all his might to sit up and look around. All he saw was blackness. But instantly -from it being his house- he noticed he was in the den below the rest of the house, or the basement.

Truthfully, Troy would have been able to identify this even if it wasn't the easiest room in the house to identify.

He spent a lot of time in there. Whenever his parents were gone on some vacation or business meeting, or his mother was taking "the day for herself", Troy always would stay in here. The maids and housekeepers would do their daily duties and Troy would stay in the den, paying no attention to them and just fixating on the TV or his game or his thoughts, whatever was concerning him at the moment. He could always just relax in this room. Let all his cares and concerns float away in a cloud. He didn't know what it was about the room. It was just a plain room, no decorative themes or such. Just one TV and couch, a green centered rug in between and plain, white colored walls. He assumed that maybe it was just the fact that it was calm. Not fast-paced and rush-rush like the rest of his life. He could just be in this room. No cares. But right now he had one big care, and that care was that he was hit over the head and attacked by two men he could not identify quite yet -even though he had been brought face-to-face with one of them.

He stumbled to the door and turned the door knob. Surprisingly, it was open.

He adjusted his eyes to the bright lights of his family room. It was obvious that the intruders were doing something on the first level of his home. He walked up the stairs and while doing so, fully regained his consciousness. When he reached the top he hid behind the first wall. Then he heard their voices. They were talking low and quietly, but luckily it was loud enough that Troy could here them.

A low voice grumbled, "Just hurry up and disconnect it! We can't waste anymore time, what if somebody calls?!"

The other voice was more patient, but still agitated. "Hey, do you want this to be done fast or right? If I just hurry up and do it then the phone line might become enabled again, and we don't want that now do we?"

The other voice sighed dramatically. "No, we don't. Just hurry up before you piss me off." Troy heard steps coming closer to him and quickly descended down the stairs so he could stay out of sight. He saw the outlined shadow of a man and stepped back on his heel, to decrease his chances of being seen.

The man then walked away, and the shadow got smaller. Troy realized he was pacing. He was nervous. Or was a spaz. One or the other. Troy decided regardless he didn't like this guy one bit.

"Come on; let's go take the money and stuff from their bedrooms now, so we don't have to do it later." He heard two sets of footsteps leave to cross the house. They were going to the bedrooms, Troy knew, and they were on the second level of the house, up a whole new set of stairs. That means Troy had time and could perhaps leave the house or call for help. At least he had a chance to try.

He walked slowly and quietly up the stairs, just to make sure they were for sure all the way up the other set of stairs on the other side of the house. Once up, he went into the kitchen, where the intruders had been talking before. He ran to the kitchen table and picked up their chord-less phone and tried dialing the police. The line was inaccessible. Figures. That must have been what they were talking about before. It didn't dawn on Troy till then. He was just so out of it he never even noticed that was what they were referring to. It seemed odd though, usually when someone robbed a person or family, they don't cut the phone lines. They just get the stuff and get out.

Unusual. Very unusual.

He then ran to the back door. Thinking automatically that the front door would be locked at that they would hear him. He didn't want to risk it. He ran past the stairwell he had climbed up from the den, past the bathroom that was also attached to the guest bedroom, and straight to back door. The door that opened up to the patio. He figured he'd go through the patio and run to the front gates of the house, then run somewhere for help as quickly as possible. He opened the back door and sprang out onto the patio. Thrilled that it was unlocked, he jumped over the swing that sat there and the patio chairs that were lined up perfectly. What he didn't notice however, was what was going on in the other room, and that escaping wouldn't be as easy as he had presumed…

**

* * *

**

Derek jerked up when he heard footsteps. He was currently in the master bedroom, where Jack and Lucille Bolton slept and lived, searching through Lucille's jewels and pearls when he had heard loud footsteps coming from downstairs. He turned around to face his partner, Alex, for an answer.

Alex just gave him a confused look and shook his head. He was clueless as well.

"Is the kid awake?" Derek asked.

Alex shrugged his shoulders and put the things he was stealing back so he could face Derek. He had a feeling they were going to be running real soon.

Derek threw the jewels on the floor in frustration and ran downstairs. Alex followed. When they reached the bottom of the stairwell, they heard a door snapping shut, and then through the windows, saw Troy running full speed toward the front gate. Derek was about to jerk off to stop him when Alex grabbed his arm.

"Wait," he commanded, "He can't leave, the gate is bolted shut and lined with electricity. Remember?"

Derek slowly nodded then smirked. _This is gonna be fun, _he thought, _watching the Bolton kid suffer under the hard lash of a lightning bolt. _He watched attentively out the window waiting for the big scream and death. But it didn't come. All that happened was a slight _zip _and Troy fell to the ground, wincing in pain.

"That's all you did?" Derek asked rudely, "A tiny little shock?"

Alex nodded indignantly. Obviously unaware of Derek's certain displeasure.

Derek then saw Troy trying to get up again, and jumped towards the door. He flung it open and ran towards the wincing Troy, who was already half way up.

"Ugh..." Troy groaned in pain.

"Don't even try." hissed a cruel voice in the darkness of the night.

Troy just groaned again in response.

He felt two strong hands violently grab his shoulders and drag him back towards the house. He did his best to fight back, but the electric shock had weakened his strength for the moment.

"Just shut up," the same voice hissed again even more angrily.

He tried kicking again, but it was no use, they just kept dodging his leg. So he gave up rather quickly. He was tired, and weak. He just couldn't fight anymore.

Once they reached the house again, he was dragged back inside and thrown on the hard, wooden floor.

Troy yelped in pain.

"I said shut the hell up!"

Troy did as he was told; he couldn't risk being hit again.

Alex interrupted Derek hitting him again. "Let's go finish getting the stuff, isn't that what we came for?"

Derek bluntly ignored him. "Go get the guns," he ordered.

"What?"

He raised his voice. "I SAID GO GET _the guns_." He looked into Alex's eyes during the last two words, sending the a tiny bit of fright into the poor boy.

Alex obliged and rushed into the room, where they had left the guns.

Derek kicked Troy a few more times in his stomach, making him groan in pain.

"You're so pitiful," Derek said in disgust. Troy couldn't utter anything in response for he was in too much agony.

Then Alex ran down with the retrieved guns. He threw Derek his gun and kept his own safely secured in his own hands.

Derek pulled back the gun then faced it low towards Troy, who was scrunched up on the ground.

"Hey, I thought we weren't going to shoot anybody!" Alex protested.

"Yeah, we weren't. This will be fun though." Derek smirked wickedly and aimed the gun towards Troy again.

"Dude... don't. If we shoot the kid the cops will be even more up our butts trying to get us behind bars once we flee. Think about it."

Derek looked down and sighed, realizing that, regretfully, Alex was right. He put the gun at his side and turned to face Alex.

"You're right. Pick the _loser,"_ he looked at Troy disgusted, "up and take him down to the basement. Did you finish sound proofing it yet, Alex?"

Alex nodded. "Yep. It's completely sound-proof. No one will be able to hear him at all."

Derek did his evil grin. "Great." He walked away towards the kitchen, reaching into the fridge. Apparently, all this illegal doings and beating people really worked him up an appetite. Alex took this as his cue to take Troy, still in severe pain, down to the basement he had sound-proofed himself just a little while earlier. Derek had instructed him to do so. That way when Troy awoke, he would have somewhere for them to put him that no one would expect and no one would hear him while Alex and Derek did what they needed to do.

Once Alex had dragged Troy down the cement steps of the basement, he set him down coldly, and retreated back up the stairs. Then he heard a muffled, weak mumble.

"You're -you're evil..." he heard Troy wince in pain, then roll back on his side.

Alex breathed out dramatically, then in one quick motion and was at Troy's side in a matter of seconds.

He bent down so he was face to face with Troy. Then looked into his eyes and whispered huskily, "Listen, you're lucky, you're damn lucky that I'm me and not Derek," he pulled Troy's hair roughly and continued, "But I swear to God, if you cross me again, I'll -I'll kill you. I will kill you. You hear me?" he threatened, trying his utmost to be seem menacing and evil. He hoped it was working.

Alex walked in the kitchen to find Derek eating chocolate ice-cream and sitting on the kitchen stools.

"You put him in the basement?"

"Yep."

"Good." Derek smirked and continued eating.

Then they saw car lights pull up to the front gate. They saw a silver Maxima pull down their window and push the buzzer to communicate with the people in the house, so they could be let in.

"Oh crap," Derek whispered, dropping his spoonful of ice-cream mid-air. They stared at the car, shell-shocked.

"It's Bolton's girlfriend."

**

* * *

**

Arriving home from her date hours earlier, Gabriella strode into her house full of joy and happiness. Well, actually she didn't walk, she _floated._

Tonight was definitely the best night of her life. Not only had she found out that she had been accepted to Yale -with her boyfriend- but she had spent an enchanting evening with him as well. Eating delicious food and talking, tonight was definitely _the _night. She couldn't have asked for more. She loved Troy so much, it was just beyond words. He was funny, sweet, romantic, beautiful, _and_ fun to be around. In other words, he was _everything._

She set her gray clutch down on the nightstand, and waltzed blissfully into her room. She smiled again, for she couldn't wipe that contagious grin off her face. She quickly undressed and was about to get in her pajamas when she had an idea. She wanted to be near Troy so much at that moment that she didn't want to be away from him for a second more. She hurriedly slipped on her favorite outfit, a pair of dark skinny jeans that slimmed her legs, a soft, white, cotton shirt and a cream-tan leather jacket.

She jumped into her brand new silver Maxima that her mother had bought her as a graduation present two months earlier and turned on the engine. Within ten minutes she was there.

She pulled up to the front gate, and buzzed the buzzer so Troy could let her inside. She figured she'd sleep over tonight since her mom gets up early to go to work and would be none the wiser and she knew that Troy would otherwise be all alone since his parents were on vacation -again.

She new how much that bugged Troy. Them always being gone and never really having enough time for him. Well, they weren't as bad as some parents, they loved him and showed interest in him and everything, but they just never really… _cared. _And that hurt Troy more than anything.

When she buzzed again, she had a weird feeling deep in her stomach, but she pushed it aside knowing that she'd be with Troy soon and everything would be right.

**

* * *

**

Alex looked at Derek, eyes alarmed.

"What do we do?"

Derek sighed annoyed. But Alex knew he was panicking just like he himself was.

"Should we just ignore her?" Alex asked horridly.

"No, she knows Troy is here. If we don't buzz her in she'll know something is wrong and will call the police or something. We have to let her in," Derek decided.

Alex huffed. "And do what? Tell her to come back later?"

"No. Just… well, go press the button first of all and allow her in."

"But-"

"Do it!" Derek ordered.

Alex walked over to the front door, where the button to allow the gate open was, and pressed the button. The gate opened automatically, and Gabriella's car drove peacefully through the driveway.

Alex looked incredulously at Derek, not having the slightest idea what his plan was. Derek just smirked in response.

"Go stand on the right side of the door," he ordered.

Alex did as he was told. "Why?" he asked as Derek went to stand on the left side.

"Because we're going to attack her too," he said matter-of-factly.

Alex was in shock. "What? But she's just a girl! I thought we were focusing on the Bolton family."

"We are. But think how much of an advantage we'll have for Troy telling us what we want. We have the only thing he loves."

Alex nodded meekly in agreement and looked down. This was _not _what he had planned on.

Derek mentally prepared himself for his attack. "You grab her legs and I'll grab her arms. Okay?"

Alex nodded again. He did his best to mentally prepare for this, but had a feeling that he would not be even close to how prepared Alex was for attacking an innocent girl.

* * *

Gabriella walked out of her car, still not being able to shake that weird feeling in her stomach. She took her bag out and got her keys. She had the Bolton's house key in her purse, something that Troy had given her almost a year ago.

She opened the door and stepped one foot inside the house…

**

* * *

**

As soon as Derek saw her black flats enter the carpet he lunged at her. Alex did the same.

She screamed in terror because in an instance she knew it wasn't Troy. They pinned her to the ground in a fraction of a second.

Derek sat atop her stomach, in order to stop her thrashing. He bent down to whisper in her ear and put his hand over her mouth because she was screaming hysterically by then.

"Ah, ah, ah, I'd be quiet if I were you. Your boyfriend wasn't quiet and he paid for it. Learn from his experience." He gave her an evil smirk and picked her up then through her over his shoulders.

"What are you doing?" Alex asked, petrified, as he was ashamed to admit.

"I'm taking her down to see her boyfriend. I think he'd be... _excited _to see her."

Then he gave his partner in crime an evil smirk and began carrying a terrified Gabriella downstairs... to her awaiting boyfriend.


	4. Insane

**Thanks for reading!! Your reviews are great!!**

* * *

**At the Bolton Household**

Gabriella had never been more terrified in her life.

As Derek brought her roughly down the stairs she tried wriggling out of his grasp. It didn't work, it just made him holder her tighter. Her sides burned from his rough hold on her and her head still throbbed from the fall when they had jumped on her.

She was still wriggling and trying to scream when Derek whispered huskily in her ear.

"Be quiet, you don't wanna disturb your boyfriend, maybe he's sleeping..." He smirked again and opened the door.

**

* * *

**

The room had finally stopped spinning when Troy wobbled up. His head hurt pretty badly, and there was a ringing in his ear; but luckily, he could still think straight.

He looked around at the basement where he had spent so many days and nights. But he felt something different in it. Like something had changed. He just couldn't put his finger on it. Maybe the intruders had done something. He didn't know. But, at that moment, what the criminals had done to his basement was the least of his concerns.

He was being held hostage. That was all he knew. He had no idea what they wanted, who they were or where they were from. The only other helpful piece of information he knew was that they were smart. Very, very smart. They had obviously done their homework before coming. The electricity on the fence informed Troy that they must have gone through the whole house and put up obstacles. Traps, if you will. But he knew he had the advantage over them. He knew this house better then anyone else. He lived there, and spent almost all of his time there. He just had to figure out a way.

He wobbled-still unsteady from the beating he had took earlier-and sat against the cement wall surrounding him. He tried desperately to conjure a plan that would help him. His life depended on it. _Okay, think Troy, think! You know this house way better then they do. Surely there has to be something they missed. They aren't perfect. Just focus. Focus! _

He tried to think harder and harder for an answer. However, the more he thought, the more his head ached mercilessly. But he didn't stop. He was still in the midst of thinking when he heard her scream.

At first, he didn't know what it was. He knew it couldn't be his parents, they were surely still in Hawaii. They would never come back from their vacation just to see him. So that pretty much narrowed it down to about one person. It had definitely sounded like a woman's scream to him, and now he knew for sure. It had never crossed his mind that Gabriella could get in the mix of this. He stood up instantly, new found strength residing inside him. He might not be able to gain enough strength to save himself, but he would do whatever it takes to save Gabriella.

He didn't know what to expect as he heard faint screaming and then heavy footsteps getting louder and closer. He took a breath and held himself up straight as the door knob turned and a peek of light streamed through the room...

* * *

The door slid open and Troy saw his worst nightmare.

He saw a struggling Gabriella being held by Derek. Suddenly, he felt a wave of adrenaline and fierce anger wash over him and charged toward the evil intruder who clutched his petrified girlfriend.

"LET HER GO!" Troy yelled.

Derek just smirked, evil residing in his eyes. "Okay, as you wish." And with that, he let her drop to the floor with a loud _thud_.

Troy gasped as Gabriella hit the ground. At first she didn't get up, but slowly she started to bring her body up as she winced in pain, her face as pale as a ghost.

"Brie!" he rushed to her side and sat down beside her. Once she sat up and opened her eyes, she looked around confusedly at her surroundings.

"Wha... where are we?" she asked in a dazed whisper.

"We're in my basement. Don't worry, you're gonna be fine," he soother her.

"Oh, _sure_ you will be." Derek smiled, now he got to unleash his plan on them. He had originally planned for it just to be the Bolton kid, but hey, the more the merrier was his motto.

"As long as you guys do _exactly _as I tell you, you'll be fine. Sounds simple, doesn't it? Wrong!" he laughed, a horrendous, evil laugh that sent shivers up Gabriella's spine as she looked at his cold, unfriendly face.

"Actually, it's quite a task. But, I'm sure you two have some catching up to do, so I'll leave you guys alone." he smirked at them once more, and descended back up the stairs. Sure, it would have been fun if he got to see the look on their faces when he told them what he was going to make the Bolton kid do or else, but it would be even more fun to watch them suffer for a couple hours more. Then he'll unleash his plan. How exhilarating.

When Derek heard the door shut behind him he walked calmly back to Alex, although he was aching to run. He couldn't wait to see the look on their faces. Now, not only did they have Jack's son, they had his girlfriend too! Things couldn't get any better.

He approached the kitchen and saw Alex with his laptop open, watching the screen intently.

"What are they doing?" Derek asked his partner in crime.

"Just being all cozy. Yuck." Alex said with real disgust.

"Oh. Make sure to keep listening though, just in case they have some vital information." Derek walked to the freezer and grabbed a snack, then he put it in his mouth. "Okay?" he asked with his mouth full.

"Okay," Alex agreed. He then continued to study the screen, watching closely their interaction on the cameras they had planted in the basement...

**

* * *

**

Troy picked Gabriella up with the little strength he had left and placed her on a more comfortable place in the basement. These places were limited however, because the floor was a cold, tiled floor, and there was absolutely nothing in the room. The TV, the couch, rug and all the other things that had been in there the night before, were gone. They had disappeared. Now it was just a windowless, cold-floored, room. To Troy it looked like the perfect place to murder someone.

"You okay?" he asked as he stroked her face.

She nodded. "They tackled me though, when I came in, and my head kind of hurts." She sounded just like a lost child. So scared, alone and vulnerable. Troy wanted to hold her and make all her fears go away.

"I'm sorry." He didn't point to all the bruises on his body, he didn't think she could handle that right then.

She sat up fully and looked at him. "Who are they?" she repeated the question Troy had had in his mind for the last few hours.

"I have no idea. All I know is that they obviously have some sort of grudge against me. Or my family."

"Do you think they're connected to your dad some how?" she asked, rubbing her aching head.

Troy shrugged. "I don't know. It's possible. But why would they hurt you if they're after my dad?"

Gabriella shook her head in confusion as they sat in silence for a few minutes.

Then Troy placed his arms around her and brought her close to him. He could tell by the worried look in her eyes that she was scared to death -for both of them. He kissed her forehead and rubbed her back soothingly. "It's gonna be alright Gabi," he told her. And they would be alright. They had to be.

She buried her head in his chest. "Do you know what they want?" she asked, her voice muffled by his shirt.

"No."

They sat like that for a few minutes, just laying in each others arms. That was all they needed. Even though Gabriella was terrified, somehow being with Troy made it all better. She was safe with him.

Like on cue, the door swung open and Derek and Alex appeared. They had decided they had had enough of the mushy-gushy stuff, now they wanted to make them scared.

"We wondered if you two wanted to know what your here for." Derek said as he circled the two, now laying against a wall, cuddled together.

"Yeah," Alex agreed, joining his friend, "Do you?"

Troy looked at them. They didn't look much older then him. Maybe their early twenties at the most. The one with the dark brown hair and brown eyes, was the one that had beat him. He looked so young, yet he could tell there was so much hate in his eyes. He wished he knew why. And the other one, the other one had sandy blonde hair and dark eyes too. He had hate on his face, not in his eyes. Because in his eyes there was something else, fear, almost. He also wished he knew why.

Troy came back down to earth and realized he had to answer a question. "Yeah, we do." Troy answered.

Derek smiled. "Oh, did we forget to introduce ourselves? Well, pardon me. My name is Derek Anderson and his name is Alex Forker." he gestured to the guy Troy recognized as the one with fear in his eyes.

"But no need for you two to introduce yourselves I know perfectly who you are." he acted as if he was bowing to the king of England. "Sir Troy David Alexander Bolton, what an honor your highness." he stood up again with a smirk plastered on his face. _He's insane, _Troy thought, _he's downright mental. _

Derek saw the look Troy was giving him and decided to use it to his advantage.

"Oh, you think I'm loony, do you?" he smiled again, enjoying their frightened and confused faces. "You think I'm crazy?" This time, he got right up in Troy and Gabriella's face, so their faces were only inches apart. Gabriella just looked forward, not making eye contact with him. _Don't give him what he wants, Gabriella. He just wants you to be scared, don't give him the pleasure of knowing you are, _Gabriella instructed herself. Troy simply stared back. He looked deep into his dark brown hideous eyes. Troy felt a shiver go up his spine.

"Do you think I'm _crazy?!" _He repeated. He smiled and stepped back. Gabriella started to breath again.

He laughed again. "I'll tell you why I'm crazy. Here's why; when I was a little boy, about two or three, my mommy and daddy got a divorce." He smiled a crazed smile, thinking back on the memories. Alex looked at him confused, since when were they supposed to tell life stories?

Derek continued, breaking the short pause. "Daddy moved to Chicago and mommy, stayed home to take care of me. Everything was good. That was until, mommy decided she didn't want to be alone with just one little boy anymore. She decided she wanted a man in her life too." Pause. "So mommy started to date this nice man named Ronald. Ronald, to mommy, was a great guy, he never stayed out late, he always called when he was supposed to. He always told the funniest jokes too." Derek laughed. Supposedly enjoying an inside joke or two. He was still perched on the ground, sitting a few feet away from Troy and Gabriella, who were still hunched up against the basement wall, afraid to make any sudden movements. Derek quickly moved a little closer to them and Gabriella's breath hitched in her throat. Derek reached inside his coat, still laughing hard, and pulled something out. Gabriella jumped and Troy grabbed her hand in one swift motion. Because Derek had just pulled out a shiny gun. He swung it around his fingers, holding close to his head but aiming in the direction of Troy and Gabriella.

He looked at Troy and Gabriella's faces, and understood they probably didn't get the joke. "Oh, you probably would have had to be there," He stopped laughing but the evil and now crazed grin was still on his face. "But anyway," he licked his lips and continued his story, "Ronald was such a great guy that mommy decided to move in with him. So Ronald packed up his things and moved in with me and mommy. But then... Ronald changed. He wasn't a nice guy anymore and his jokes..." he erupted in laughter once more, "weren't... that... funny." His laughter stopped abruptly but his smile continued. "And one night, when I was trying to sleep, I heard screaming." He looked puzzled and confused as he looked off into the distance, "So, I got up, put on my slippers and opened the door. Then... I saw mommy on the kitchen floor and Ronald had a knife in his hand." He chuckled lightly. "Mommy screamed once, and then she never screamed again. Because... because Ronald had... killed her." He roughly regained consciousness and looked back at Troy and Gabriella, suddenly the craziness gone. "And that's why you find me so scary." He stood up and closed up his story, going to stand by Alex again. "And that's why I'm here."

Gabriella finally started to breath again. Derek took the gun he had been spinning and put it back in his coat pocket. "Alex," he breathed, "finish." he walked swiftly to where Alex was as Alex stepped forward.

"And, we'll be keeping you here for as long as we please. Don't try to make any sound though, we sound-proofed this room so no onecan hear you two. There are also cameras watching you from every corner, so don't do anything stupid." Derek and Alex started to descend up the stairs and back to the first level of the house.

Gabriella watched them go. She watched Derek gruffly walk up the cement stairs and she watched Alex walk up the stairs, without as much anger though. She wondered why what had happened to Derek when he was a kid concerned any of the Bolton's or herself, and why he was really there. She also wondered why Alex went along with him. It was obvious that Alex was nowhere as threatening as Derek. Derek was insane. That she knew for sure. The way he laughed at the most traumatizing things, the way he pulled out his gun and swung it around his middle finger like it was no big deal, the way he looked off into the distance as he relived past memories.

Gabriella shuddered at the thought at what had gone on in his corrupt childhood home. She squeezed Troy's hand tighter. She needed him at that moment.

He looked at Gabriella. "You okay?" he asked for the second time that night.

She nodded. "Yeah. But we better be careful about what we say, we're being watched you know."

Troy nodded, remembering what Alex had told them.

Gabriella climbed into his lap and rested her head on his chest as he stroked her hair. "I'm scared Troy." she said honestly.

Troy nodded in agreement. "I know, me too.... But we're gonna be fine. We'll cooperate with them for whatever they need and then they'll let us go. We'll be fine." he promised her. He prayed that no matter what happened, he would be able to keep his promise to Gabriella.

* * *

Derek walked up beside Alex three hours later. It was now 5 am in the morning and they were watching Troy and Gabriella intently.

_About 5 hours without food, water or a bathroom break. And they're all cooped up in the little room. It'll be fun to watch the kids go crazy, _Derek thought evilly to himself.

He watched the screen. Troy and Gabriella were still in the same corner of the basement they had been three hours ago. Gabriella was sleeping soundly on Troy's lap and Troy was still awake just laying there. Derek wondered what he was thinking about.

Then Alex interrupted his thoughts. "When are we gonna go down there again and ask for the information?"

Derek sighed and looked at his watch. "Uh... how about now?" he asked while smirking.

They got up from where they sat and entered the basement.

"Wake your girl up, we have news." Derek told Troy.

Troy jumped at them but then did as he was told. He gently shook Gabriella until her eyes fluttered open. She looked at him confused but then understood once Troy pointed in Derek and Alex's direction. She sat up next to Troy and looked at them.

"It's time for us to tell you what we need from you." Alex said.

"Yep," Derek agreed, "This is your first mission, Troy has to tell us the access code for your father."

Gabriella looked confused. "Access code? What access code?"

Alex looked expectantly at Troy and pulled out his laptop from between his arm. "Well, we're waiting?" Alex said impatiently.

Troy looked back and forth between Alex and Derek. He had no idea what to do. On one hand, he had to give this to them or else they might hurt him or Gabriella -or worse. On the other hand, Troy's father had given him the access code when he was thirteen and Troy felt very privileged to know this. His father had trusted him, and expected Troy to take this to the grave. Could he just give it away like that? He even remembered exactly what had happened the day his father gave the code to him.

* * *

_Flashback_

_5 years ago..._

_Troy and his father had just come got to the Albuquerque Park no less then 15 minutes ago-and they already had to leave. _

_His father had gotten called into work, for some major stockbroker problem they had to deal with and now they were rushing back to the car. So much for father-and-son bonding time, Troy thought. _

_"What's the emergency?" Troy asked his father. It was a Saturday, his dad's only day off out of the week, and they hadn't spent any time together in a little over a month. So Troy was surely craving it. _

_Jack turned to look at his son. "Uh, stockbroker issue." he continued walking fast-paced._

_"You already said that." Troy reminded him._

_"Oh. Well... that's what it is." For some reason, Jack looked nervous, but Troy couldn't pinpoint why._

_"Well, are you gonna take me to the park again?" Troy asked. _

_"Uh, I don't know son." Troy hated it when his Dad called him "son", he was hardly that. _

_"Oh. Well, are you going to the office?" Troy had to run to keep up with his fathers fast strides. _

_"I don't know yet, Troy." _

_Troy sighed and decided to stop asking questions. _

_Jack looked at Troy. He decided Troy had a right to know at least a little. _

_Jack stopped abruptly and Troy stopped too. _

_"What's wrong?" Troy asked._

_"Uh, Troy, I think it's time you know something." Jack stopped to catch his breath, then continued. _

_Troy looked at his father confused. "What?"_

_Jack sighed. "Come here." he ordered, then ushered his son to a secluded place in the park. _

_Jack sat down on a bench. "You know that what I do for a living is very important Troy, right?"_

_"Yeah, I know." That's why you're always at work -I hope, Troy thought. _

_"Well, it's very, very important, probably more then you'll ever know. And, for my work I have an access code." _

_"Access code? Like for money? Like a bank account?" _

_"Well, sort of." Jack paused in order to collect his thoughts. "The access code, is more like a database, I guess. It just -it holds information -extremely important information."_

_"Okay." Troy wasn't quite following his father. _

_"But I need to know Troy, that what I'm about to tell you, you will never tell anyone -ever. No matter what. Because I am the only one on the face of the earth who knows this. Can I trust you Troy?"_

_"Yeah. Yeah, you can trust me." Troy assured his father. _

_"Okay, just in case anything ever happens to me, here is the access code," Jack looked intensely into his son's eyes. "J-U-D-D-I-E. You got that?"_

_"J-U-D-D-I-E." Troy repeated. "Yeah, I got it. Will I ever need it?"_

_"I hope not. Dear God, I hope not." _

_End Of Flashback_

* * *

Troy slipped back down to reality, realizing that his fathers wish, would no longer come true. Someone _did _want to know the code, and he _did_ need it.

He looked at Derek and Alex, who were still looking at him. "I-I can't give out that information." he muttered.

Alex threw his hands up in the air in frustration, slipping the laptop back between his arms.

Derek was furious. "Okay, Bolton, I'm gonna give you one more shot. What is the access code?"

Troy looked him in the eye. "I don't know." he said, pronouncing each syllable slowly.

Derek clenched his jaw in fury. Alex looked at Derek for their next move.

Derek turned. "Let's go, Alex. We'll give them a few hours to think this through. I'll be nice. But if I come back and you still won't give it to me... drastic precautions will be taken." And with that the door slammed and the room was pitch black.


	5. Enraged Breakdown

**Okay, I'm sure not a lot of you will like this chapter nnd I'm a little scared, but... here it is. Please don't murder me. :)**

**Thanks as always, for reading and I hope you like this iffy-chapter anyway.**

* * *

**In the Basement**

Derek and Alex had just went back to the first level of the house after warning Troy, and now it was Gabriella's turn to.

"Troy! What the hell?!" she yelled, anger evident in her voice.

Troy looked at her, surprised by her outburst. "What?"

"What do you mean 'what'?! Give them the freakin' access code!"

Troy looked down. He already knew giving the code away was not an option for him. He'd rather take the beating.

"I'm sorry, I can't."

"What do you mean 'you can't'!?" She was starting to sound a little hysterical. Didn't Troy understand that if he didn't give them the code they would _die? _

He took a deep breath. "My dad gave that code to me when I was thirteen Gabriella, and he said never, under any circumstances, give that code away. Him and I are the only two people in the world who know it. I can't just -I can't. I'm sorry."

Gabriella looked at him in disbelief. "So your going to let them kill us because of a damn code? Do you realize that if they kill you then there's no reason for you to know the code at all? At least if you tell them then someone will know it!"

"Yeah, the wrong person! You don't understand how important this code is!" Now Troy was angry. Gabriella couldn't just _expect_ him to give the code away so easily, could she? That code -his father said- was extremely important.

"Don't yell at me! Your the one that's crazy!" she yelled, anger boiling out of her. They were now standing face to face yelling at each other.

"I'm not yelling!"

"Yes you are!"

"Only because you are!" Troy yelled.

Gabriella stopped yelling and took a deep breath. _Calm down Gabriella, _she told herself, _Don't yell at Troy, with his decision this may be the last few hours we spend together. _

She looked at Troy, suddenly realizing she should cherish their time together, and not waste it being angry with each other.

"I'm sorry..." she whispered, with tears threatening to fall.

Troy's anger disappeared and he took a deep breath. "Me too," he said quietly.

She nodded and was wrapped up in his arms in a matter of seconds. He kissed her hair and hugged her tighter.

"I love you, Troy." she whispered into his chest.

He kissed her hair again. "I love you too."

**

* * *

**

Derek slammed his fist on the counter. "Damn it!" he yelled.

Alex jumped at his sudden movement. He was a little bit more scared of Derek now then he had been before. Ever since the whole life story in the basement where Derek had come undone, he was a lot more careful around him.

They were both positioned in front of the laptop watching Troy and Gabriella's quarrel. However, they had just made-up now. And that made Derek angry. His plan had been to split them up with the news of the access code or life. This wasn't his original plan; his original plan had been to torture Troy until he got it out of him. But Gabriella coming was not part of the plan either; but it was certainly a fantastic plus.

Alex tried to soften the mood -he didn't want Derek to get too worked up. "Maybe they'll have another fight. Who knows?" he suggested.

"Yeah," Derek replied harshly, "and maybe they won't." He sighed and took a deep breath. This was not the plan he had in mind. He had wanted Troy to change his mind so they could have the information they desperately needed. He wanted Gabriella to be mad -more then mad, actually, _enraged- _and that would push Troy over the edge, then he would voluntarily want to die.

"That Gabriella girl has given up. She won't force Troy anymore. That means that we can't get the code." Derek said.

"Well, we don't _need _Gabriella to force him to do anything. We just need that code. Nothing else matters." Alex pointed out.

Derek looked at Alex in amusement. Then his smirk turned into a wide grin. "Alex," he said excitedly, "you're a genius."

Alex looked at him in surprise, "What?"

"Your absolutely right. We don't _need _Gabriella, she was just a bonus. But since my plan didn't work, we don't need her _at all_ anymore." Derek smirked with an unreadable gleam in his eyes.

"So what are you proposing we do?" Alex asked.

"Exactly what I just said. Since we don't need Gabriella Montez anymore..." He paused for dramatic effect. "We get rid of her."

**

* * *

**

After Gabriella and Troy had their little disagreement, Gabriella had silently agreed to not bring it up anymore, she was cuddled in his arms and that was all that mattered -for now. Once everything was completely back to normal Gabriella would bring it up again.

Sensing that the tension was finally gone and they could actually have a civilized conversation about this, she decided to speak.

"Troy," she began in a soft tone, "why exactly do you not want to give up the code?"

He sighed and looked at her, thinking through his answer. "It's very important, Gabriella. You have to know, I gave my father my word on this, I can't just violate this or he'll never trust me again."

"Yeah but, if you _don't _give the code away, who knows what they'll do." She looked at him with sad eyes.

He looked at her, sadness and softness in his eyes too, "I know, but it won't be you they hurt at least."

Gabriella rose her head from his chest in astonishment. "You can't be serious." she declared. "Your not really counting on them only hurting _you, _are you?"

"Well, yeah." He seemed perfectly fine with this solution. Nothing to worry about, like a few kicks in the stomach wouldn't hurt him.

"Troy!" Gabriella exclaimed. "You are _not _going to let them beat you! Just give them the code then!"

"I _thought _we had already been over this -I'm not giving up the code. Understood?" And here they were, yet again, arguing about the same thing they had been two hours ago.

Gabriella looked exactly what Derek wanted her to look like -_enraged. _"_ 'Understood?' 'Understood?' _What exactly am I supposed to '_understand' _Troy?! The-the fact that you are willing to basically let yourself be _killed _for a _code? _Or the fact that your willing to let me be killed for a code? Or the fact that your willing to let two armed intruders get angry enough to threaten to _kill _us, because your daddy says this code is '_important'? _Are you-are you FREAKING KIDDING ME?!" she screamed, as coincidence would have it, _enraged_.

Troy had had enough. He obviously wasn't getting through to Gabriella well enough, he had to try another strategy.

He would still be angry with her, but maybe he should try the other way around. "I get it Gabriella, you're pissed, I get it. But don't blame me for trying to keep a _promise - _a very _important_ promise- to my _father." _

Now it was time for Gabriella to try a new approach.

"A promise to you is obviously _extremely _important, I get that. I have no idea why, but I get it. You see, if someone was going to take my _life, _I would tell them the code, because then I'd get to live another day. But you- well, obviously your father, who never gave a damn about you, means more to you than you do to yourself. I have no clue why. So tell me Troy... why? Why are you willing to let _us _die, to save him?" Gabriella realized by the pain and the anger slowly crossing Troy's face that she had crossed the line- the father line.

Surprisingly though, his voice started out calm and collected -edgy- but calm.

"You, obviously Gabriella, never lived in a household where you got no personal attention whatsoever. You, obviously, didn't live in a place where your plays, or school functions or what you were doing after school -even if it was doing drugs- was of absolutely no concern of your parents. So youdon't know what it's like. _You _grew up in a happy, birds-chirping-all-aroundhome, I didn't. I grew up in a place where 'family time' was considered me, at home alone, eating frozen dinners and drinking Kool-Aid. Now you obviously didn't go through that. You obviously lived in a fantasy world. Well, life's not a fantasy, sorry. Sometimes, in the big_, _scary world_, _people have to make sacrifices. Things don't always work out the way you planned. Sorry, didn't mean to burst your bubble. But next time you go calling me a god damn idiot, why don't you think a little first? Think that maybe, just maybe, my life wasn't as god damn perfect as yours!"

Troy's face was pale, shockingly, but the end of his speech, as he took a deep, shaky breath to calm himself down.

Gabriella was taken aback -very far back- by his harsh words. She looked down, embarrassed by her words and hurt by his.

"I'm sorry," she breathed, her eyes filling up with unwanted tears.

Troy sucked in another breath and nodded looking towards the ceiling. He turned around and put his hand over his eyes, trying to calm himself down.

_This is great Gabriella, just great, _she told herself silently, _now you've crossed the line and Troy definitely won't give up the code to save you, because he won't care if you're dead. Stupid, stupid girl. _

Upstairs, scrunched in front the laptop, watching intently their exchange, Derek thought the _exact_ same thing.


	6. Come Down Here and Kill Me!

**This is a pretty risky yet drama filled chapter. It's pretty much the climax of my story so.. WALA! Lol. :) Hope ya love it! Review please!**

* * *

**At the Bolton Household**

The tenth hour came and passed in a blurry nightmare. The eleventh did the same. Then, with the twelfth, Gabriella decided to maybe talk to Troy again.

"Troy?" she asked timidly. It had been a full three hours since his little cutting outburst, but Gabriella still didn't know what he was thinking.

Troy turned to face her from the other side of the room. "Yeah?" His voice wasn't edgy -but it wasn't inviting either.

"When do you -when do you think they will come down here again?"

He shrugged. "I don't know." He looked away hopelessly, depressed.

Gabriella sighed and looked down disappointed, apparently he was still hurt.

_Should I apologize? Should I wait for him to calm down? Gosh, what do I do?! _Gabriella's thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a door banging open and Derek and Alex walking in.

"Why hello! Have a lovers' _spat_, did we?" Derek quizzed them with that evil smirk and that menacing yet laughing gleam in his eyes.

They didn't answer, they just gave him cold stares.

Derek chuckled at them. Sometimes, he really found them amusing. _They really think that I'm gonna let them go. Stupid kids. _

"I wouldn't be silent if I were you. You only have a little amount of time left together." He let that sink in on them before he dropped the real bomb. They glanced at each other quickly, then just as quickly looked away. He then rephrased his sentence to shock them. "Well, actually, it's your _girlfriend_ who only has about ten minutes left on this earth."

Gabriella went into shock. Her eyes bulged out of her sockets in disbelief. No. No this couldn't be happening!

Troy looked at them terrified. "Wh -what did you say?"

"You must have trouble hearing Bolton, _I said _Gabriella will be leaving this earth in less then ten minutes."

"Please... please no. Please!" Gabriella begged, emotionally and someone pathetically.

Derek just smiled. "Alex, grab her." Derek headed to the cement stairs that led to the basement door.

Alex grabbed Gabriella by her wrists and dragged her across the floor. With her screaming bloody murder the whole way.

It all had happened too quick for Troy. He could barely comprehend it. One minute Derek and Alex were just talking like they usually do, and then the next minute they pick up Gabriella and take her out the door. He didn't see it. He did physically, but mentally and emotionally he was just blocking it out. He didn't even have time to react before the door shut with Gabriella on the other side and Troy was alone in the darkness.

Once outside the basement she had been in for the last twelve hours, Gabriella began to come back to reality. She remembered what the rest of Troy's house looked like. She remembered that she had not very long ago dreamed of going to Yale and having a great life with Troy. Now, all she cared about was them being able to live to see the next day.

Then it dawned on her. It was so obvious she couldn't believe that she hadn't thought about it before. It was Thursday. And judging by the colors of the sky that Gabriella could see outside, probably mid-morning. She realized that people would be going to school. They would be heading off to their jobs, their lives. Gabriella marveled at how right at this moment people were living their day-to-day lives absolutely normally. They had no idea what was happening to them. They had no idea that while they learn algebra or geometry that Gabriella and Troy were battling for their lives. It was sad. Depressing, even.

But she was robbed of her marveling when Derek grabbed her by the hair and dragged her into a more open space then the hallway. She realized at once that it was the living room. They had two beautiful and extravagant couches placed on either wall and a huge mirror placed on the biggest wall. That way, when you walk into the room, the first thing you see is your reflection. She had always found that rather strange, but when she had asked Troy, he had just shrugged it off and said that it was his fathers' idea.

But whether or not there was a mirror in the living room was no concern to her at the moment. Not when she was being pulled by her hair, being held hostage by two mad men and evidently going to die in less then seven minutes. She had bigger problems.

"Ah..." Gabriella moaned as Derek threw her harshly against the floor.

"Oh, shut up!" He snapped. "Your damn lucky we're not going to kill you." He shook his head wistfully. "So damn lucky." he murmured again and then he turned and left the room. Now it was just her and Alex.

She looked at him as he stared intently at her. He was standing in the front of the room, while her body was still slumped up against the back couch. She didn't know why, but she found Alex the less intimidating one of the two. Not that he wasn't big and muscular -he was, no doubt. He was pretty scary looking too-though it didn't take much to scare Gabriella. There was still something about him that made him less mean. Some quality that he didn't posses to make Gabriella afraid of him. And as she looked into his dark, chocolate eyes, she knew at once that she wasn't afraid.

"Are you guys really going to kill me?" For some reason, Gabriella knew he wouldn't yell at her.

"Maybe. I don't know." So now she knew he wasn't the mastermind in the group. If he was, he would have told her straight out yes or no. Now she knew he was waiting for Derek's approval.

"What do you even _want_?"

Suddenly, he stiffened. He seemed more tense and on edge. "When we get what we _want _we'll leave for sure. Don't worry."

His words did not comfort her, but she didn't think they were meant to.

**

* * *

**

Troy sat slumped against the wall. He had blown it. He really didn't think they were going to hurt them if he didn't give them the code. He thought they were just all talk. And now, Gabriella was gone. His whole purpose in life; gone in a flash.

_Why didn't I just give them the code? _He wondered silently to himself.

"Stupid..." This time aloud, to no one. "Stupid, stupid, stupid..."

He sucked in breath, shaky and uneven. He tried not to let the full on sobs come, but it was hard to resist. He didn't know what to do. He was used to being the fixer, the person who made things all better and peachy for everyone if they were screwed up. But he couldn't fix this. It was beyond his control.

This was the one thing he couldn't stop, and the one thing he wanted to the most.

So, for the next hour, all he could do was lay on the cold, soaked from tears floor, badly beaten and wounded, waiting, hoping, praying that everything would be alright. He silently prayed to a higher power that the guys had been all talk and no action, and he wouldn't hear the dreaded sound of a fatal gunshot or an ear-piercing scream, because that would be the end of him. If that happened, he would be _begging _the higher power to strike him rather than save him, because a life without Gabriella was a life not worth living.

Maybe in a few hours he would gather up enough strength to try to beat the door down, or yell at Alex and Derek until they took pity on him and put him out of his misery on this Gabriella-less world. But right now, he couldn't do that. He just couldn't. He was weak, hopeless, and dead inside. So, for the time being at least, he would lay in a broken ball on the cold ground, hoping that he would wake up and be okay, that the sprinkling skies would somehow open up and having gorgeous Gabriella prancing out of them, fit as a fiddle.

He would hope in help... pray for someone, somehow, to save them.

**

* * *

**

Derek came back in the room, no later then two minutes after he had left. He had a gun in his hand. That was the first thing Gabriella noticed.

_Oh God, he's going to kill me! _Gabriella's frantic thoughts were interrupted by Alex's slightly confused voice.

"What are you doing man? I thought it was all a set up?"

"Change of plans," Derek said simply.

Alex gave him a confused look and ushered him to the side where Gabriella couldn't overhear their conversation.

"What do you mean 'change of plans'?"

"Exactly that."

Alex looked at him for a long second. "If you kill the girl, you can be positive that the cops will get us."

"Look at it this way, if I _do _kill the girl, I can ensure that Bolton will give us the code."

"_Or _it could piss him off and make him rebel even more." Alex stated, pointing out the other option.

Derek looked at him, annoyed. "Look, we're a team. Just do me a favor and don't question me." And with that Derek walked smoothly to the couch that Gabriella was up against, holding the gun in his hands.

_Right, 'team', _Alex thought bitterly.

"Okay Gabriella, or '_Brie'. _Isn't that what your Troy-toy calls you?" Derek asked with a devil smirk on his face.

"Don't. Call. Me. That." Gabriella seethed through clenched teeth.

Derek faked horror, he gasped. "Oh no. Did I hit a nerve? Is poor, little, innocent Gabriella finally lashing back?" He pulled back into his regular smirk. "Well, it's about time. After all these years of sitting home, alone, without mommy, you're _finally _talking back? And why was mother gone again? Was it because she cared about her job more then she did you? Is that why?" He sat there, looking at her with a tiny, mocking pout on his face, acting as if he was clueless to her life story.

Gabriella looked at him with stone eyes, not letting him have the pleasure of knowing he was getting to her. But Derek saw her tense up.

"Oh, I'm right. I know I am. That's right, I did my homework _Miss. Montez. _I know your life history. You grew up in a single parent family, mother worked a lot. Classic story. You were always hidden in the shadows. That is, until Troy came along. He was everything to you. Still is. He was charming, handsome, popular, sweet, romantic, and _rich. _That is all that matters right? _Money?_"

Gabriella shook her head. "No. No that's not why I love him."

"Oh, it's not? My mistake. I was just guessing because, you know, he put you through college, bought you your first car..." He swayed his dark haired head from side to side, waiting for Gabriella to acknowledge the key fact in his sentence.

"Troy did not put me through college. We got accepted together."

"Please!You seriously thought that _Yale_ would take _you_? You had to know that your Troy-toy had _something _to do with it!"

Derek smiled as it all seemed to click for Gabriella. Troy had paid Yale to take her. Of course. It made perfect sense. That's why her letter had come late. Even if it had been delivered a month ago like Troy had said, and he'd just been keeping it from her, that still would be about two months too late.

Still, Gabriella couldn't quite accept it. "No. Troy wouldn't do that."

"Oh, but he would. You see, '_Brie', _Troy isn't as innocent and good as you think he is. In fact, I doubt he cares about you at all. Did you hear him call your name at _all _when Alex carried you out of the room? I didn't."

She couldn't lie to herself, she was confused about why Troy hadn't tried to stop them from taking her before. Maybe he really _didn't_ love her...

No. Never. He did, absolutely. Alex and Derek were wrong. Dead wrong. Well, she needed to convince herself of that, at least. Especially in the last minutes before she was killed.

Derek laughed at Gabriella's pitifully confused and shocked face. The look was priceless, a great way to leave life behind, with such an inquisitive and hilarious look. She really should feel proud.

"Oh, well," He stood up and spun his gun on around his fingertips. "It's none of _my _business anyway. Come on Alex." he called over his shoulder as he walked out of the room. Alex had been in awe the whole time. He had to hold his jaw in place.

_Wow. _He thought as he followed Derek into the other room. _He really _is_ a psychopath. _

**

* * *

**

After about fifty minutes of sobbing, Troy got up. He had an unwanted need to ruin his life. Get himself beaten or worse. Hopefully worse.

He couldn't take Gabriella being gone. He hadn't heard a gun shot, but that didn't really mean anything. Gabriella could very well be dead, and that meant he had nothing to live for.

He walked over to the left corner of the room, where he remembered Derek and Alex had said that there were hidden cameras. That meant they were watching him. If they were even telling the truth, that is. But he figured that they were, that they weren't just all talk like Troy had assumed, given what they had done to Gab... to Gabriella.

God, it hurt to even think her name.

He stood hopelessly in front of the camera. It was like all the life had been sucked out of him. There _was _no life in him. Not anymore. Not without her.

He didn't quite know what to say to them. There wasn't really anything that could sum up his raw pain. So he just said what popped into his mind first. And what popped into his mind first was death.

"I know you're watching me, so whatever the hell you're doing, put it the hell down and look at me." He paused, perhaps waiting for them to get in their positions in front of wherever they were watching him. Or maybe it was just so he could gather his thoughts without puking and sobbing right there on the spot. He gulped, continuing. "You... you're-you're EVIL! EFFING EVIL BASTARDS IS WHAT YOU BOTH ARE!" His voice cracked and wavered, but he paid no mind. "I hate you!"

He slumped to the ground, heart pounding in his hallow chest, about to be ripped limb from limb. His eyelashes were matted with unshed tears and his cheeks were burning with shed ones.

"I hate you... I hate you... I hate you..." he murmured, breaking.

"But that's what you wanted, wasn't it? For me to break? Well it happened so I hope you're effing happy! You hear me?! I SAID YOU BROKE ME SO I HOPE YOU'RE EFFING HAPPY!" A sob escaped his lips, but he pushed past it. "YOU'VE RUINED MY LIFE! I HAVE _NO_ LIFE! YOU MURDERED IT! You bastards... selfish, evil bastards..." He coughed, feeling like he was coughing up a lung.

Then he continued, "I didn't..." he cried pathetically, helplessly, "I didn't even get to tell her I love her. You stupid assholes! I didn't even get to tell her that! And now... because of you... I'll never get to see her again..." He sniffed, rubbed his cerulean, dead, eyes and spoke one last, heartbreaking sentence. "You want the code? Fine, have it. There's nothing to lose now! You've already taken away my life!" His chest ached. His stomach was in tight, heartbroken, unsettling knots. Yet he continued on, because he really didn't care.

"It's J-U-D-Y! You here me? J-U-D-Y! NOW YOU KNOW THE CODE SO WHY DON'T YOU COME DOWN HERE AND KILL _ME_!"


	7. The Truth Revealed

**Hey everybody! Thanks again for your awesome reviews, they make me so darn happy! Now please review, I want your take on this chapter.**

**Peace nnd love,**

**Kiwi**

* * *

**Mid-morning at East High School**

Ms. Darbus took her seat at her desk in the front of the room as her class settled down early Friday morning at in the East High classroom.

"Hush! Hush!" she called to them. They quieted down a little bit but there was still a soft murmur over the room. So Ms. Darbus began with the normal roll call.

"Miss. Andersen?"

"Here," the petite brunette called from the front of the room.

"Mr. Andel?"

"Here," A dark skinned boy called from the back of the class.

"Miss. Busse?"

"Here."

"Mr. Bolton?"

No answer.

Mrs. Darbus poked up through her light rimmed classes to find Troy's regular seat empty. She frowned but then checked him as absent. She then continued taking roll. Everything went smoothly until she got to Gabriella's name.

"Ms. Montez?" she called for the second time towards the back of the class, but she found her seat empty as well. Hmm...Mrs. Darbus thought, _hopefully Mr. Bolton and Miss. Montez aren't skipping school together. Ooh, that'd be a terrible habit to make._

She shook her head disapprovingly and went on with her class. She had no idea that Mr. Bolton and Miss. Montez were staying home against their own free will.

After class was dismissed and people were allowed to go to their third period, a very concerned and well pampered Sharpay Evans ran up to Chad Danforth, who was completely oblivious and spinning an orange basketball on the tips of his dark fingers.

"Chad!" she called, running up to him nearly breathless from the run in her five-inch Prada heels.

Chad whipped his curls around to face his friend. "Oh, hi Sharpay."

"Chad," she breathed again, catching her breath. "Where are Troy and Gabriella at today?"

He shrugged. "I dunno. I'm guessing their dinner date last night went really, _really _well." he joked playfully with her, brown eyes glistening with humor.

"Chad!" she smacked his arm, the diva in her coming out like it did... let's just say more than  
'every so often'. Her hazel eyes held no real humor for her normally immature friend. The picture he had painted was definitely something she _did not _want to think about.

"No, seriously," she looked at him, a stressed crease in her tan forehead. "Do you think something happened to them? I mean, I get Troy being late or absent but _Gabriella? _That just doesn't sound like her. And I _doubt _they slept together. Gabi's not a hussy."

Chad thought about this seriously for a second. He knew Sharpay was right, and even if something had happened between him and Gabriella last night, Troy would have at least called to brag, right?

"I dunno." he answered again. "Maybe you should call them Sharpay. Make sure everything's going okay."

Sharpay nodded in agreement then they went their separate ways to their classes. On her way, Sharpay took out her pink razor phone. She went to her contacts, and searched for Gabriella's name. Once identified, she hit _'send_'. There were no ring and Sharpay got the operator. She tried again; the same thing happened. After her next class, she tried another few times. After each class she repeated this cycle, and each time she got nothing. The same exact thing happened with Troy's phone too.

This shouldn't have scared Sharpay, but it did. Despite what Chad said, she couldn't shake the feeling that something was very, very wrong.

**

* * *

**

About half an hour after Derek and Alex had brought her up to the first level of the house, Gabriella was still in the same predicament as before.

They hadn't even killed her yet. Which, in some way, was worse. Now she had to deal with the horrible anticipation of not knowing when it would happen. All they did was stand around her in the living room, or sometimes go into the kitchen and she would hear Derek talking harshly with Alex. She didn't know if they still planned to kill her or not. But if they didn't soon, the anticipation surely would.

She craned her neck to the left so she could hear Alex and Derek, who were talking intensely in the kitchen.

"I still don't see what good killing her is gonna do!" Alex whispered harshly.

"Relax," Derek replied back, completely calm, "we're not going to kill her." He lowered his voice a little, probably making sure Gabriella couldn't hear, even though she was still in complete earshot. "We're not going to kill her." he repeated. "We're going to wait until we get something out of either her or Troy. Just a little stir, that's all."

Alex relaxed a little, and shuffled his feet. "Okay... then we'll get our code?"

"Yes, Alex," Derek said, smiling, "yes we'll get our code. Just a little bit longer. Troy will crack any moment now, I can feel it. We took away his girl. She's dead to him. I bet he's _aching _to talk to us now." Derek smiled ruefully at the thought.

Gabriella gasped silently to herself, as she slid herself back along the floor. She looked down, confused yet again. _Again with the code. Why do they want it so much? Why is it so important? _Gabriella made a mental promise to herself to find out why the code was so important. The code was why they were there in the first place, after all.

Just then, Gabriella was yanked out of her thoughts by a loud yelling. She jumped and looked up but found that it wasn't Derek or Alex who had made the outburst, it was coming from the laptop that sat atop the counter. On it she could see the outline of Troy's body, sitting on his knees, yelling at the monitor at the top of his lungs.

She gasped and listened to things he was saying, her heart aching at the sight of Troy looking so vulnerable.

Derek and Alex were already positioned in front of the computer watching Troy intently. Alex's expression was unreadable. He was stone. Gabriella couldn't tell if he was just listening or if his mind was somewhere else entirely. Derek's expression was a sinister one. He had a huge grin on his face, smiling bigger with each saddening thing Troy said.

Then, his expression changed. Derek's eyes went wide as Troy revealed the code that they needed. He mouthed something to himself and stared in astonishment at the screen.

Once he had told them the code, Troy collapsed on the ground in front of the camera, looking utterly broken. Alex pushed the power button on the monitor. Derek still didn't move, looking like he was conjuring a plan. Then a smile broke out on his menacing features. Gabriella felt the slow wave of tears rush down her face.

Alex sighed and looked at Derek. Finally, they would leave. Finally, they had the code. "Well, we got it. We can leave now, Derek."

Derek just smirked and shook his brown head of hair. "What's the rush? I wanna go talk to Troy first..." He turned and headed towards the basement, completely forgetting about Gabriella for the moment. Alex looked at him surprised, but knew that even if he protested, Derek wouldn't listen to him. He hesitated about leaving Gabriella alone on the first level of the house but he felt even more uncomfortable leaving Derek alone in the basement with Troy, so he followed Derek down the stairs.

Once they got down there, they saw Troy in the same position he had been in on the screen; head in his hands, scrunched on the floor, sobbing. Derek rolled his eyes. Alex felt a pang of sympathy.

Troy didn't even flinch when they entered. He kept his head down and kept sobbing. Alex wondered if he was even aware they were there.

Derek grinned and sat right in front of him. He took out his gun in one swift motion and kept it in his hands. "Well, Troy, first I'd like to thank you for the code. Certainly made things go swimmingly for us." In a sudden movement, he took Troy's head harshly in his hands and shoved the gun against his head. "And as a thank-you," he said huskily, "I think I'll give you what you asked for." He shoved the gun harder to Troy's head and he winced. "Oh, it's okay Bolton. It'll be quick and painless. You asked and pleaded for it, so I'll give it to you. I'll kill you Mr. Bolton."

Troy looked him in the eye, and through clenched teeth whispered, "Go ahead. I'm dead inside anyway."

Derek smiled. "I'm glad to have no resistance on your part then." Derek looked up to see Alex watching him strangely.

"Derek!" Alex squeaked, mystified by the sudden change of events. "I thought we weren't gonna kill anybody?!"

Troy's head snapped up. "What?" he asked.

"Change of plans," Derek told him simply, for the second time in the last twelve hours they had been there. Alex shot him a confused glance.

"What?" Troy repeated, "Is Gabriella alive?" He started to struggle out of Derek's grasp. "Is Gabriella alive? Is she okay?"

"Oh, she's fine Troy, don't you worry. In fact, she saw your little break down on the camera. You like the dramatics, don't ya Bolton?"

Troy tried to wriggle free once more, but Derek kept his sturdy grasp on his face. "Ah, ah, ah Bolton. You already made your choice. No second chances."

"Derek, come on, we got the code, that was what we came for in the first place. Let's just leave now, while we're ahead." Alex urged, a little ancy.

"Not until I do my share of damage, Alex." He smirked once more at him, then turned his attention back to Troy.

"Troy, do you know _why _I hate you so much? Why I'm here?"

Troy looked him in the eye and shook his head. "No. I don't."

"Would you like to?" He was going to anyway, be he thought he'd be _polite _and _ask _first.

Troy gave him a hard glare. "Does it matter?"

Derek laughed. "No." He regained composure and continued. "But here's the reason Troy, here's the _hum-dinger _that's gonna shock you." He smiled and licked his lips. Oh, how he loved story telling.

"The reason I hate you and your family is because you ruined my life. Ruined it. Remember that little memoir that I told you? Remember how my mother died because of that _awfully funny man, _Ronald? Remember?" He licked his lips hastily and continued. "Well, guess what my mothers name was? Judy! J-u-d-y! Judy!" He chuckled to himself because the suspense was killing him and continued. "And guess -bet you can't- why _your _father has _my _mother's name as his code? You know why? Because your daddy is the reason she's dead. Your precious father had an affair with my mother thirteen years ago. And when Ronald found out, well let's just say he wasn't the happiest camper." He laughed abruptly then went on.

"So the reason Ronald killed mommy was because mommy was having an affair with Jack, your father. Isn't it a small world? Hm. And to think, if it hadn't been for your father my mommy would still be alive." He gazed off in the wind for a moment, then, only for a second, it looked like he was going to kill Troy in cold blood. But then, just as quickly as it had appeared, his expression disappeared and he stood up.

"I won't kill you Bolton. _Today. _I wanna leave you in shock for a little while longer, let your deepest fears sink in. Come on Alex, let's go." They proceeded up the stairs and slammed the door, leaving Troy alone in the darkness, with only his thoughts.

_This isn't possible, _he thought, _How can any of this be happening? How could-_

But his questioning thoughts were interrupted to the answer to his question.

_The reason I'm here, the reason Gabriella could die, the reason a woman died... is because of my father. And here I've been trying to protect him this whole time and... when has he ever once tried to protect me? _

Troy knew the answer, as heartbreaking as that was, he knew.

_Never. _

_He has never tried to be there for me, was never a real father. He was always gone, off doing something work related or just for the sake of leaving. And I've always known that, heck, I resented him for it. But I've always been somewhat protective of that fact and defensive. Well, you know what, he has no excuse this time. He blew it, he blew it so badly. And now, because of him and his stupid, thoughtless affair, I - or much worse, Gabriella, may die. _

_My God, how could things get so awful so quickly? But more importantly, how do I turn them around and get myself as well as Gabriella out of here - alive? _

**

* * *

**

Sharpay was now completely freaked out.

She had called both Troy and Gabriella's home and cell numerous times. But not once had she got a signal. Not even a ring.

So as she was walking out of East High that afternoon, it was an understatement to say that she was concerned for her very good friends.

"Chad!" she called out, her high heels clanking nervously on the floor as he walked out the East High doors.

He spun to face her. "Yeah?"

"I'm worried. I can't get a hold of Troy or Gabriella and I've been trying all day. I can't even get a signal on their cells or home. It's like the landline has been disconnected or something, which doesn't make any sense! You'd think that if they'd just taken the day that they'd have called or at least picked up their phone!" Stress lines were forming on her forehead, and Chad knew for sure that this wasn't a good or happy sign, considering Sharpay never ever got upset enough to let the matter of her looks be jeopardized.

"Shar! Shar, calm down, okay?. It's alright. I'm sure Troy and Gabriella are fine. But if it will make you feel better, we can go to Troy's house and check on them, alright?"

The tall blonde took a deep breath and nodded, yet that didn't seem to calm her stomach of raw nerves. "Alright," she agreed, "let's go to Troy's house."


	8. Opening Up

****

At the Bolton Household

Troy was still in a state of shock half an hour later. He had barely moved at all and hadn't taken his eyes off the brick-now soundproof thanks to Derek and Alex-walls of the basement.

Finally, he came to his senses. _Okay, _he thought_, so maybe my dad is to blame for all these things. Maybe he's to blame for a lot of things. But, you know what? I'm not him. If I know anything at all and have learned something from all my years on this planet it's that I am not my father. Not even a little bit. So I get to make my own decisions and choices and my fathers choices are the exact ones I'm not going to make. I know that. I've always known that. I just have to do it now. I have to do everything in my power to help Gabriella and I get out of here. I have to get her out of here no matter what. _Troy did a silent nod to himself and slowly sat up off the floor, determined to get Gabi out of his house which had all of a sudden turned into a hellhole. A death trap. Even if he didn't get out-_gulp-_alive, Gabriella had to. She just had to.

He went over and sat against the wall, trying hard to conjure a plan. Somehow he would get Gabriella out. Somehow...

**

* * *

**

Gabriella swallowed up the last of her tears. She had been silently crying for the last half an hour while Derek and Alex talked heatedly in the kitchen. It was hard for her though, not to think of Troy and his suffering. His emotional breakdown because he thought she was dead. What he had given away. The code was Derek's and Alex's now. All there's. Now, they could kill her and Troy without a care.

All of a sudden, Alex came back into the room. He stood in front of Gabriella, who was still slouched against the couch in an uncomfortable position from when Derek had thrown her there. Alex stood their awkwardly looking down at the ground. She figured Derek had just scolded him.

"Get up, we're gonna put you in another room." Alex informed her. He watched as she picked herself up off the ground, limping slightly from being thrown and hit so many times the former night. Alex grabbed her by the forearm and ushered her to the other set of stairs that led to the bedrooms. She climbed up slowly and carefully, trying not to hurt herself even more.

Once to the top Alex took her to one of the bedrooms. The Bolton's bedroom. He threw her-just a little gentler then Derek had -and she landed on the soft, carpeted floor. She groaned and picked herself up so she slumped against the king mattress. Then she looked up to see Alex staring down at her.

"What?" she growled up at him.

He just smirked. Gabriella seethed. He had smirked! Here, a woman-given, a woman he didn't know very well-was in severe pain and being held hostage and torn up inside emotionally, and he was smiling! Maybe he was a piece of scum like Derek after all, she thought. Maybe she _had _misjudged him.

"What- what are you _smiling _at?"

"I just find it funny how unfortunate your life turned out to be these past hours. Maybe 'funny' is the wrong word, maybe 'coincidental' would be more fitting. I find it coincidental that you came over here to check with your boyfriend, then you end up going down with him." He chuckled a short, light chuckle to himself. "Love does strange things to us, doesn't it?"

Gabriella looked at him, trying to read him again. "I thought Derek was the evil one." she muttered.

He heard her, of course. "Maybe. But, then again, I'm not the most sane person in the world either." He bent down so he was at her level, just like Derek had done the previous night. But when he did it, it seemed different. Less imposing and threatening maybe.

"So tell me a little bit about yourself Gabriella, what is _your _life like?" Alex asked her. "Derek already went over the basics down stairs earlier, but I wanna hear it from _your _perspective."

_Fine, _she thought, _I'll play your little charade, but only because I wanna know why your really here. _"Well," she began her answer, "my mother most likely doesn't know I'm gone at the moment because she's left for a business trip this morning in Mexico and will be gone a week. I'm an only child and never met my father."

He nodded, taking her life in. "Wow. So, Troy is all you really have huh?" She studied him again. Now he was really starting to confuse her. A moment ago he had been acting almost like Derek. Now, he seemed genially interested in her life. He looked knowing and understanding and curious all at the same time. Almost like a counselor of some sort.

"Yeah, he is." She didn't know why, but she felt comfortable with Alex. Like, somehow, he understood her and where she was coming from. It was a weird thing to think, considering he was the one who was holding her hostage and was armed with a gun that he could pull out at any moment and shoot her with. But she didn't mind after all answering his questions.

"Oh. That's nice that you have someone like that..." He looked down, seeming remorseful.

Gabriella decided she wanted to know more. "You... don't?"

He shook his head sadly. "No," he replied, "just me, unfortunately. Now," he added.

"You did at one point?"

He shook his head again. "Her name was Rebecca." He looked down again.

"Oh." She still wanted to know more, and she felt the longing to help him. Ever since she was little, whenever someone was down she always tried to pick them back up. Like with Troy, who often needed up building, she always could comfort him and make him feel better. "What happened to her?"

"She died of... cancer about three years ago." he answered.

"I'm sorry." she replied automatically. This was definitely getting weird, Gabriella thought to herself. She wanted to hear about _his _life for some strange reason. She wanted to know _his _background. She wanted to help _him _of all people.

He shrugged the death of what had clearly been a key figure in his life off like it had been no big deal. "It's alright."

Gabriella looked down at her feet. That was definitely a way to kill a conversation. If that was in fact what they were having. 'An exchanging of words'. No, this was definitely a conversation.

She swallowed. "How long were you guys together?"

"About three years."

"Oh. That's the same amount of years Troy and I have been." She informed him, maybe just a little frightened at the strange coincidence.

He chuckled without humor. "Ironic," he mumbled.

She didn't know if she heard him correctly. "What was that?"

"I said it's ironic. Its ironic that, if Derek gets his way, your guys' relationship will have lasted the same amount of time mine and Rebecca's did." He stood up and went towards the door. "I'll be back in about an hour." And with that he left, leaving Gabriella alone with only her thoughts.

* * *

Chad and Sharpay had piled into his car and were now on their way to Troy's house. Sharpay really needed to know they were alright. She needed to make the sinking feeling in her stomach go away.

"Chad, pull up to the front gate so we can hit the doorbell." Sharpay ordered him as they entered Troy's posh neighborhood. That way, if Troy really wasn't home, they didn't have to drive all the way up his driveway. Chad obeyed her orders and pulled up outside the Bolton's golden front gate. He rolled down the window and pressed his finger to the buzzer that would alert Troy and possibly Gabriella of his surprise arrival.

He rang it once and after waiting a minute, rang it again. After the fifth time, Chad was getting suspicious. Sharpay looked like she was ready to have a full on panic attack, which only made Chad panic a little too. Maybe for once, Sharpay _was _right. Maybe something serious _did _happen to Troy and Gabriella. Maybe they were in danger, or worse. He didn't know exactly what 'worse' was, but he definitely didn't want to find out.

He looked at Sharpay as he backed up the car and turned around. "Uh, let's go Gabi's house and check there."

"Oh please! They _never _hang out there!" Sharpay yelled, furious at Chad's stupidity.

"Well maybe they did today. Let's just go check."

Chad pulled up to Gabriella's humble abode, but found that the driveway was empty and the house was as well.

"Oh my gosh!" Sharpay exhaled the breath she had been holding in for the past minute. "Where are they?!" Of course, she was an actress so her worries only increased and it was not possible for her to think rationally and calm down.

"I don't know Sharpay." Chad said, his stomach formed knot after knot. Okay, this _was_ really suspicious.

"We have to call the police," she decided.

"What? That may be a little too extreme Sharpay."

"What? How could that be _extreme?! _They're gone! Missing! What other choice do we have?"

"Well, for one, we haven't even talked to their parents yet, maybe they know something." Chad suggested.

"Oh, yeah right Chad! Since when do Troy and Gabriella's parents give a friggin' crap about them?!" Sharpay exclaimed.

"Well..." Chad had officially run out of ideas. He had to admit, he was freaked. This wasn't like Troy nor Gabriella.

"Then it's settled, we're calling the cops." She pulled out her phone and dialed the number. "Hello?" she said frantically into the phone as her and Chad speed down the road, on their way back to Troy's estate. "My name is Sharpay Evans, and I need the police." She listened for a second then answered. "My friends -Troy and Gabriella- they're missing."

**

* * *

**

A few hours later Gabriella was still over thinking what Alex had told her earlier. Sure, she had come face-to-face with death a lot over the last night and this morning, but never had she thought of it so in depth. They were going to kill Gabriella and Troy. After hours of yo-yoing the idea with her, Alex and Derek had officially came up with an answer for them both. They were going to _die. _And now she definitely knew she didn't want to die. She still had so many things left to do. She wanted to see her family and friends. She wanted to talk to them, spend time with them, just be with them. She wanted to graduate from high school. Get a job. Have a family. Live her life. And most of all, she wanted to talk with Troy one last time. She wanted to tell him how much she loved him and that no matter what happened none of this was his fault. And she prayed that she'd at least get to do that before they... they _killed _her.

All of a sudden, Gabriella's thoughts were interrupted by Alex coming in. It wasn't like when Derek came in though -when he did, he just barged in and made everyone aware of his presence- Alex came in more gracefully, more softly. He didn't seem to have a grudge against the world -at least not as big as one as Derek.

He came and went towards Gabriella. "I'm back," he informed her, as if she didn't already know.

She nodded and looked up. "When are you going to do it?" She asked him, not making eye contact.

"Do what?"

"You know what. _Kill _me."She affirmed, finally making eye contact with him. His eyes were brown, but not evil and sinfully brown, like Derek's. They didn't hold hate and anger and betrayal in them. They weren't so intimidating that you felt like you had broken a law just by looking at them. No, no, they weren't like his at all. They were a lighter hazel, and held no bitterness. They weren't as scary and possibly murderous as the ones of his accomplice. Gabriella liked that fact.

"Oh." He said nodding and looking down. "I don't know Gabriella. Could be soon, could be later." He shrugged and started walking back to the door. He turned back one more time; "Anything else?" he asked her.

Gabriella just rolled her eyes. She was getting sick of Derek making the rules all the time, and she knew Alex was too. She could tell by the way he looked down or broke eye contact every time he was brought up. "When do you get your balls back?" she mumbled. She really didn't expect him to hear her, but he did. And to her surprise, he smiled. Chuckled, actually.

"Oh, I don't know." He said, still chuckling. "Whenever Derek lets me." So his rage had turned to humor, Gabriella thought.

The corner of her lips curved up, and before Gabriella knew it, she was laughing. She suspected that she was suffering from PTSD or Paranoia. Maybe both. Eventually though, she got control of herself. "Wow," she said to him. "I guess I'm going crazy."

"I can bring you up some food, I guess." he offered.

"Okay," she said, smiling, "thanks."

He nodded solemnly and walked out the door, on his way to the kitchen.

_Poor guy. _Gabriella thought. _He seems like a good guy, but he got caught up in the wrong thing. I wish I could help him... _And she waited for Alex to bring her her food upstairs, feeling newfound sympathy for him the whole time.

**

* * *

**

"So they never showed up at school today?" A plump officer known as Officer Karaka asked them as Sharpay and Chad sat in two seats in front of her desk at the Albuquerque police station.

"No." Sharpay answered. "Never. I called both of them tons of times but they never answered."

"I see." She nodded and wrote something on her piece of paper she had been filling out. "Did you guys check their homes?"

"Gabriella's." Sharpay confirmed. "She wasn't there. But for Troy's house we can't be sure because he needs to open the gate for us to get up to his driveway. But it's very unusual because he always opens the door for us." Sharpay was on the verge of tears. This stressful situation was really taking a lot out of her.

"Okay." She wrote something again and stood up. "We'll take a look at the Bolton's home and see what we can find. If there are any developments, we'll contact you." The officer informed them.

"What?" Sharpay asked bewildered, she glanced at Chad, whose expression matched hers and then back at the cop. "So you're not gonna tell us anything?"

"I just said I would inform you of any developments," repeated the officer.

"Yes. But what does that _really _mean? Are you gonna call us if you find out they aren't at Troy's house? Or if you find their bodies floating in a river? Because I swear, if we aren't informed of the _tiniest _detail you can be sure that my father will have your chief contacted faster then you can turn on your cell phone and press 'contacts'." All of a sudden, pleasant, worried Sharpay was out of the picture and demanding, fierce Sharpay took her place. Because she knew that Troy and Gabriella were in fact in danger, and she was in no mood for playing games with the officer.

Officer Karaka looked a little stunned, but recovered quickly. "Uh, I-I guess you can come with us if you stay out of the way." Normally the officer would never offer this option, but she had a feeling Sharpay would need _special privileges. _

Sharpay smiled and stood up. "Thank you for your cooperation Officer Karaka. I'm sure this will make things run smoother." She told the short, plump officer smoothly and she walked out of the police station, Chad tailing behind her. The Officer still stood there, looking confused. _Wait, _she thought to herself as she watched them depart, _Isn't that my line? _

* * *

She had waited patiently for Alex to bring her back up her food -and he did. One cheese sandwich and a glass of water. Not too fancy, but Gabriella would never complain, she hadn't eaten a thing in sixteen hours.

"Thanks." she told him, feeling quite gluttonous even though she knew she had to eat. He was just sitting there watching her eat, which made her feel awfully uncomfortable. But she didn't really think he was watching _her _necessarily. She could tell by the far off look in his eyes that he was somewhere else completely.

"So. Tell me more about this Rebecca girl." she prompted, putting her finished plate down.

"What?" He looked surprised.

"I wanna know more please. Just tell me about you two."

"Uh, okay." He searched his brain for memories. "We, uh, met when I was fifteen and dated till I was eighteen." Gabriella nodded along, showing him that she was paying attention.

"We were both paired up as partners in chemistry in high school and we just -I don't know -fell in love? It sounds corny, but... it's true, I guess. Then while we were in our last year of high school she found out she had cancer. She died that summer."

"I'm sorry," she said, her chocolate eyes held real sympathy. She felt his pain. He probably felt exactly like she would feel if something happened to Troy. And she didn't even want to think of that.

"It's okay. Not your fault."

"So what made you want to become a criminal?"

"What? What are you an investigator or something? I thought I was the one holding _you _captive."

"I'm not I'm just-" She paused. How could she explain it to him? "I just want to know. One of the steps to healing is talking about the problem."

He laughed. "Oh, so your a shrink? Classy. Well, Derek was my roommate in college. That's how we met. Told me he needed a favor one night. I agreed. The next night he told me the plan and I figured 'what have I got to lose?' So I told him I'd help him."

"Do you really think that's what Rebecca would have wanted?" She knew he would most likely be pissed at that comment -but she needed him to open up and take down his wall. That's how she'd get what she _really _wanted.

He shook his head. Not angry nor sad. Not anything. Hollow. "No. But I don't really have any other desire in my life. What else is there?"

"Alex, there is so much out there that you can't see. A world where you don't have to do this. Where you don't _need_ to do this. There will be another Rebecca. You'll love someone else. You'll move on. But this is not the way to do so. You're going in the wrong direction."

"I know, I know, I'll just screw my life up. Blah, blah, blah. You know what? I've seen the _Oprah_ episode okay? I get it. But there really isn't anything else for me. This is what I want."

She made her eyes look down, secretly searching. "Well, I'm sorry to hear that. Because, deep down, I don't believe you're a bad person. I just think that you're doing the wrong thing."

"I know I am, but I've already made this decision. No backing down now." He was distracted for sure now -Gabriella could tell. This was the perfect opportunity to get what she wanted. She had seen him take out his gun and lay it next to him a few moments earlier and then the idea hit her. If she could get that gun she could hold him hostage and kill Derek -or at least knock him unconscious or something. Then Troy and herself could escape. Perfect plan. Now she needed to execute it.

His guard was down now -officially. But she had to keep it down in order for this to work. "Don't think like that Alex. There are always second chances. You just need to get out of this life," she told him as her foot inched slowly to the gun that was just inches from his sides.

"Not after this. When the police-" He caught himself quickly. "_If _the police find us after this is over, who knows what will happen? How long we'll be locked up for?" He looked down. But thankfully for Gabriella, not at his right side, where the gun was.

She moved a little closer, being careful not to move to fast or else he might see her and he would know her plan. And how would she explain herself in that situation? She'd lose his trust for good.

Finally, she had done it. She was close enough that in one quick hit with her foot, the gun could be right next to her and in her hands in seconds. Should she do it? she wondered. _How fast are his reflexes? Could he get me in time?_ Because the chances are that if he were to catch Gabriella's foot or hand or stop her somehow before she got control of the gun, he would most likely not hesitate to kill her. Should she react the same? Should she not hesitate to kill _him?_

She didn't have time to think because in a few short seconds her body reacted for her. All she could think about was how he had held her hostage. He and Derek were threatening to _kill_ her. They had accessed the code already -yet they weren't leaving. Her body filled with adrenaline and all she could think about was getting that gun and taking control of this situation. Making _him _feel like the vulnerable one. Making _him _feel scared for his life. Despite everything she had just heard at that moment she felt no sense of pity for him.

The gun was knocked towards her and in her hands in a matter of seconds. Alex, taken off-guard, didn't have time to react and now had a gun being pointed at his head by the woman who just a few moments earlier he had been opening up to. He had dared to think of her as possibly a _friend. _

"Get on the ground!" she yelled angrily at him, the gun shaking in her hands.

He put his hands up like he would for a cop -and did as he was told. "Okay, okay. Calm down Gabriella." he soothed her. He knew that she was acting rash. And a rash person and a gun did not go very well together.

"DO NOT TELL ME TO CALM DOWN!" Gabriella screamed.

"Okay. Okay." He was soothing her again-she could tell. And Gabriella really didn't feel like being soothed at that time. Not by him.

"I want you to tell me why you're here." she yelled at him, furious.

"Wha-" He was cut off before he could answer.

"I SAID TELL ME WHY YOU'RE HERE!" she screamed again.

"All we want is Jack!" Alex yelled back.

"What?" She lowered the gun a bit, shocked. She had thought they just wanted some money from Jack-she knew that. But she didn't expect it to be so personal.

"All we want is Jack." he repeated. "Then we'll be on our way."

"What do you want with him?" she questioned, intrigued.

"It's some personal, family matters with Derek. Something to do with his mother and father -I really don't know." He shrugged.

"Well what are you bothering with Troy and I then?" she yelled.

"Because, that's the only way to get to Jack. We wanted the code, to take his money, and we wanted Troy, to away take his family."

"Why? What did Jack ever do to him? Why is he so enraged with him?" Gabriella asked rhetorically, because she knew Alex wouldn't know the answer.

Just then Gabriella was pulled back by a strong pair of arms. Choking her and taking the gun at the same time, Gabriella didn't have time to scream.

"Very good question, Miss. Montez." whispered a husky, evil voice. "Very good question." He pulled her back even farther, clutching her neck to his chest, making her choke an struggle.

"Well, let me tell you. Troy's father, Jack Bolton, met my mother one night." He started, Gabriella still struggling in his arms, his arms still circling her throat roughly. "They started dating. Only problem was, she was dating Ronald at the time. Ronald found out and, you know the story. But that's what happened. All because of Jack. Your boyfriends' daddy. And now..." He whispered gruffly in her ear, making her gag reflex come back. He pulled her closer knowing how much she loathed this. He made sure she was close enough that she could hear clearly what he was about to whisper. "I've had enough games. I'm gonna take you down and murder you in front of your boyfriend." With her hands still pinned behind her back by Derek's forceful arms, he dragged her down the stairs and to the first level of the Bolton estate. She kicked and thrashed along the way, but it was no use, Derek's arms were too strong. They soon reached the first level and continued down to the basement where Troy awaited them.

_Oh my God. _Gabriella thought frantically to herself, _He's serious. He's going to kill Troy and I. Oh my God. Please, _she closed her eyes and silently begged.

_Please. Someone help us. _

* * *

**Thank you for reading! I appreciate it very much!**


	9. Undecided

**Stairs to the Basement **

Gabriella kicked and kicked and struggled and struggled but it was no use. Derek was too strong for her. She screamed once but learned not to do so again because Derek squeezed her stomach tighter to him which sucked the breath out of her.

"Ah!" she groaned in pain, "Please... don't... hurt... Troy..." she begged, each word at a time because her breath was just now coming back to her.

"Oh, don't worry _Gabi." _She cringed at the use of her nickname on his despicable lips. "You won't be here to see Troy pass on. I'm going to be killing you first."

Gabriella tried and struggled frantically to get out of his grasp now, punching his sides and kicking ferociously. Soon they came to the door of the basement and Derek opened it swiftly, still holding Gabriella in his arms.

"Gabriella!" Troy yelled, overcome with happiness to finally see her again and anger at seeing her struggle so hard to get out of Derek's arms. "Let her go!" He yelled, picking himself up off the floor and rushing to her side. Derek shoved him back with his arms and Troy fell back surprised at the strength of Derek's one arm. Now Troy was quite the basket ball boy. He was very strong and very athletic. But he was no match for Derek's strength somehow. He didn't know how Derek, who looked about the same size as Troy, could have so much more strength. Maybe it was all the stress or the lack of any sleep or food that Troy had had. But either way, it seemed Derek was like kryptonite to him.

"No, no Troy. No funny business now. You've run out chances and now I'm gonna kill you and your precious girl," Derek informed them menacingly. During this time, Alex had followed Derek down the stairs and was now watching him wide-eyed. He was really getting tired of his bipolarish mood swings. Derek seriously needed to stop changing and re-changing his mind over and over again. He was getting tired of it. Real tired.

"No..." Troy pleaded. "No... please... don't hurt her..."

"Aww. Isn't that sweet? Troy-toy here is protective of his girl. Well, how protective will you be when you watch me blow her head off?"

Gabriella's eyes bulged out and her breath caught in her throat. She knew already that he was planning on killing her, but to hear it put in such graphic terms was hard. Troy felt the exact same way.

"Derek!" Alex yelled as Derek slowly brought out his gun and slid it along Gabriella's face, which sent chills all over her body and made her blood rush to her head. Derek ignored Alex.

"Derek stop. I need to speak with you privately." Alex stated in a firm tone. Derek didn't stop.

"Derek I said knock it off! Now!" he almost yelled. He didn't want Derek to turn the tables and pull the trigger on _him. _So it was best to just be firm but not rude. You never knew what he was capable of.

Derek dropped the gun from Gabriella's face and looked at Alex. "Yes?" he questioned, slightly agitated but still amused.

"We need to talk. Now." Alex turned to leave the basement and stood at the top of the basement stairs.

Derek sighed and looked at Troy. "Well Bolton, looks like you still have a few minutes left with your girl. But don't worry -I'll be back soon enough." he whispered the last part, and said it slowly enough to send a serious fright into Gabriella and Troy. Man, Alex realized, he really does the part of the villain nicely and convincingly. Well... maybe he _isn't_ playing a part.

As soon as the door closed and Derek and Alex had left, Troy leapt for Gabriella. He took her in his arms and held her close while she clung to him. "Oh my God Gabi. Are you okay?" he asked, looking into her eyes.

"Mm-hmm." she shook her head, for she was still in a loss for words about the events that were going to take place.

"Did he hurt you Brie?"

"No. Not yet at least." She began to shake and come to terms with what Derek was going to pull of -or at least attempt to.

"He won't. I promise you he won't. You're gonna be alright Brie." he said to soothe both her and himself. Because how was he to know? He couldn't promise anything as of now. Before he had been determined to let Gabriella be okay but now... he just didn't know. He knew he was no match for Derek. But he would never tell Gabriella this.

Gabriella lifted her tear-stained face off of Troy's shoulder. "Not if he really wants to kill me. We both know that if Derek wants his way, he'll get it. He _can _kill me Troy. Just accept it. Alright? J-ju-just ac-accept it..." She stuttered the last part on account of her sobbing uncontrollably.

"Shh... Shh..." He whispered as he laid her head back down on his shoulder and rubbed her back soothingly. "Shh... it'll be okay." he told her. He was done promising everything would protect her.... he didn't know if he could anymore. "I love you so much Gabriella." He buried his face in her hair, choking back tears. "And I don't know what I would do without you..."

Gabriella was still bawling. "I love you too Troy. More than you could ever know," she told him. And they sat in silence waiting for their end to come.

**

* * *

**

Sharpay came rushing up to Chad who was standing outside the Bolton manor with a bunch of cop cars. They had just arrived less than two seconds ago and Sharpay was _already _complaining about not being inside yet.

"Sharpay, Sharpay, _calm down. _You running around here like a chicken isn't gonna help anything. Alright?" Chad told her.

"Well, _excuse me _for being worried about my two _best friends _but there's a chance Chad... there's a chance that they may not be alive. You and I both know that and the sooner we get inside, the sooner we can find out. Okay?" Sharpay retorted as her eyes filled with tears of worry.

Chad inhaled air and looked around at the police that were surrounding the premises. They were just outside the Bolton's front gate that led up to their driveway. And currently, the police officers were concentrating on how to get the gate open.

Sharpay sighed dramatically. She stormed up to the officers. "Can't you guys do _anything _right?" she asked them in an exasperated tone. "Here, watch me." And with that she turned on her expensive Gucci heal and went back to her pink Mustang that cost over a hundred grand. It was one of her favorite possessions and that included her boyfriend. She stepped in it as the police and Chad watched curiously at what that little blonde ball of fire was going to do. She put the keys in the ignition and stepped on the gas pulling up and then backing up until she positioned herself right in front of the gate, backwards. All of a sudden Sharpay hit the gas with a start and backed up. She slammed into the gate and it fell over like a tin-foil piece of paper.

She stopped the car and got out. Looking at all the police that were now watching her with awe, she walked over to them and said, "Now, are you guys gonna go help Gabriella and Troy or not? Or will I have to take control of that too?"

* * *

"What the hell Derek?" Alex snapped at him once they were upstairs. "I thought we weren't gonna kill them? What did you do, just change your mind without telling me?"

Derek smirked a controlled smirk. "Alex, calm down, kay? This isn't worth getting worked up over, alright? We'll see if I kill them or not. Maybe I will," he told him. "Or maybe I won't. Who knows, really?" He laughed and went to open the refrigerator as Alex followed him, confused.

"Okay. You're not making any sense Derek. You _just _told them you _were _gonna kill them."

"Yeah," Derek shrugged lightly and said, "because I might." Alex stifled an eye roll as Derek bit into his apple, making a crunching sound like an annoying horse. "But I have to check something first." He bounced over to his computer and clicked something on it. Typing away, he scrolled and scrolled down until he had obviously found whatever it was he was looking for. Alex looked at him curiously.

"You're gonna access the code _here? _Why not wait till we get out of here?"

"Eh, can't." He looked up and said before immediately putting his head back down and typing away. "Ah, there we go." Derek said cheerfully. "I did it. Now, we're gonna get Bolton's money. Every single last dime." Derek smiled his signature smile -evil. He let his eyes wander the page over and over.

His smile disappeared. "What the..." Derek asked as his eyes went over and over it, re-reading and re-reading. He couldn't believe it. This was utterly shocking. How could it be true? How was this possible? It wasn't Jack Bolton's listings of stock info or his credit card number or anything that he had expected. It was, in fact, something he had hoped he would never ever see again in his life.

It was pictures of him and Judy.

Derek scanned the computer, shaking his head in disbelief. This was wrong, this was impossible. This was not what he planned. What were they going to do now? They were not going to get Jack's money. He knew that. That was not what was bothering Derek so much he felt like he might want to gauge out his own eyeballs. It was the sight of that lying, thieving_, bastard _named Jack Bolton that in every single picture either had his hand over his mothers shoulders, or his lips on hers. He shivered. Vivid memories were coming back to him now. Memories of him and his mother... of Ronald and his mother... of Ronald _killing _his mother. He knew he couldn't take this back, he couldn't make Jack feel the loss of losing his mother.

But he could make him feel the loss of losing his _son. _

Derek, engulfed in a rage he had never experienced before, angrily threw the laptop that had once belonged to Alex across the kitchen and leapt from his chair.

"Derek, what the hell-"

"SHUT UP! I'M GOING TO KILL HIM! THAT STUPID KID IS GOING TO GET WHAT HE DESERVES!" Derek began running down to the basement and threw open the door. He looked at Troy with such hatred and evilness, that Troy knew that as soon as he met his cold, dark, brown, hallow eyes that he was dead. He gulped, sucking in breath. This was it, he knew. Troy knew he was going to die.

And Derek knew he was going to kill him.


	10. Murderer

**Hey everyone! As usual, thank you for reading and reviewing and I hope you like this chapter! This is the last one, then the epilouge. I am thrilled, yet extremely nervous. But I'm glad to be summing this story up and moving on to only bigger and better things. This chap. is pretty action, drama and violence packed (well, nothing too gruesome) so if that bothers anyone, I completely understand. But I don't think it's too bad. I'd like to thank people for the support I have gotten with this story. I know it's not incredible amounts of reviews compared to some people, but I am content anyway. It's my first story on here, so having anyone review other than my best friend, who I continuely bribe to review, is a huge accomplishment to me. So thanks so much! **

**And I give you, the last "official" chapter of my very first story on this amazing website, and certainly not my last, Hostage. **

* * *

Derek ran over to where Troy and Gabriella were sitting, full of rage. He had one thought and one thought alone on his mind: _I am going to kill Troy. _

And Troy knew.

It was just the way Derek's venomous eyes locked on Troy's with such hate and loathing without the intention of killing or seriously hurting that person.

He immediately pushed Gabriella behind him -out of harms way.

Derek grabbed him by his shirt and pushed him so he lay on his back. He then began to punch and punch and punch Troy with all his might. He was taking out all the anger he's ever had in this one rampage. The anger from when Ronald had killed his mother, to when he found out that Jack was the reason his mother was dead, to finding the pictures of him and Judy on this computer and learning that his plan had backfired on him.

He hit Troy and saw the blood rush out of his nose and lips. He saw the pain erupt on Troy's face. But he couldn't concentrate on anything but his own anger. He could vaguely hear Troy yelling in pain. He could half hear Gabriella's screams and pleads for him to stop. He could almost hear Alex telling him to quit.

But he didn't.

He kept on hitting him and hitting him. Wanting Jack to feel the same loss he did. But most of all, he just wanted someone to be punished for the wrong-doings in the world. Finally, his hands could not hit anymore; for he had to take a breath. He looked down and saw Troy a bloody mess.

He saw that his nose was bleeding profusely and his lips as well. He was bruised and battered very badly all over and was coughing up blood. Derek couldn't believe what he had done to a boy no younger than himself. But more than that, he couldn't believe he wanted to do _more. _

He panted and waited for the air to come back to his lungs and then he planned on grabbing Troys shirt again and knocking the life out of him.

But someone put their hand on his shoulder.

"Derek. Stop. Now." Alex told him firmly. His grip on his shoulder a warning.

Derek just looked at him with such hate that he could not control. "Don't you tell me what to do _Alex." _he spat at him. "I could kill you if I wanted to so just shut up and sit down." He then turned back to Troy, where he planned to continue his beating.

"No! Please stop!" a sobbing Gabriella begged.

"No, miss Montez, a lesson for you is that people don't get what they want." And with that he began to hit Troy shamelessly again.

"No!" she screamed and shook again.

"DEREK STOP!" Alex yelled.

He didn't and just hit Troy more forcefully. And with that hit Troy lost consciousness.

"_Troy_!" Gabriella screamed.

"DEREK!" Alex felt such anger at that moment. Here, this was a kid no older than them and Derek was going to end his life for no apparent reason. He felt intensely sorry for Gabriella, too. He knew what it was like to lose someone you loved, and he didn't want anyone ever-_ever_-to feel that type of pain. Such a sweet girl like Gabriella didn't deserve to feel that. She didn't need to watch him die, either. Without thinking it over-or maybe, he had thought it over and didn't know it yet, maybe he _had _always known that it would come to this-he grabbed his gun from inside the coat he was wearing and aimed it.

He aimed it at Derek.

And without -or maybe, with- thinking, he shot Derek in the head.

Derek's body wobbled for a moment, and then he collapsed, dead, on the floor. Alex stood in shock at the sin he had just committed. The two people in the room that were still conscious, and well, alive, didn't move a single muscle. Didn't breathe, didn't blink.

Finally, Gabriella broke the silence by letting out a sob she had been holding in. Alex turned to look at her, the gun still frozen in his num hands and pointed at Derek's lifeless body. "Oh... my... God..." he murmured to himself. _I killed him... I killed him... I killed Derek. My partner in crime, my associate, my FRIEND. I killed him. Murdered him. He's dead. Dear God. _

But he couldn't think of such things right then. It was too much for him to handle; too much to process, right there, in the dimly lit, cold and uncomforting basement of the Bolton mansion.

"A-are you okay Gabriella?" he asked the still shaking, pale as a ghost, girl.

"Yes," she shakily replied. She went over to where Troy lay unconscious and unknowing of all this that had just happened. Gabriella thought the gunshot would wake him up since it was right next to his head that the gun went off, but it didn't, and that scared her.

"Troy?" she asked, leaning down to oversee his face. He was pretty banged up. He had bruises on the sides of his face and a cut on his lip as well as a bloody nose. But he was still breathing. He was still breathing and that's what mattered.

"Troy? Baby? Wake up. Troy... please, please wake up. Come on..." She silently cried and quietly begged her boyfriend while running her fingers through his matted hair.

Alex took a deep breath and went to sit on the other side of Troy, just inches away from where Derek's dead body sat. He gazed upon the once full body of his old friend. Friend... such an abused word. Was he ever really Derek's friend? Sure, Derek had called himself that countless times, but when worst came to worst, Derek had threatened to kill Alex. And in the end, Alex had killed Derek. No... no, they had never been friends, not even accomplices. But that didn't make the lump in Alex's throat go away or the giant knot in his nauseous stomach.

Alex examined Troy's body, the boy that Alex had just possibly saved from the likes of a potential murderer. Yet, he wasn't a murderer. Alex was now, wasn't he? How had _that_ happened?

He's still breathing; he's alive. He'll be okay," he told Gabriella.

She nodded, gripping Troy's hand. She didn't know what to say now. She knew for a fact she had to get Troy to a hospital pronto. But would Alex let them leave? Was he going to keep them hostage here _still? _

"You can take him to a hospital now, if you'd like." He spoke, as if reading the dark haired girl's mind.

She looked up at him, surprised. "Re... really?" she asked, her voice still sobbing.

He nodded, "Now go before I change my mind." Such harsh words, from such a soft man. But Gabriella knew he didn't mean them. He didn't meant them one bit. He didn't want them to have to suffer the same pain he was. He owed that to himself, Gabriella figured, to do one last good thing. She had seen a side of him that day that no one ever had seen before... and she didn't think anyone would see again.

Unfortunately, Alex would never open up to anyone again, why? Because it was the classic case. He opened himself so freely before. To the love of his life. And she left him. Unwillingly, of course, but nevertheless, she left him. He would never forgive her or himself for letting that happen. Now, maybe the odds were against Alex. For lots of different reasons. But, maybe, the odds would be overcome and something would work out in his favor. It doesn't happen very often, but maybe Alex is an exception, Gabriella thought. Maybe he'll be more than he ever thought he could be.

"Thanks," Gabriella told him sincerely through her tears, and tried her hardest to pick up Troy's asleep body. Then she turned to Alex.

"You're a good guy," she told him. "Don't let anyone tell you differently. You saved Troy's life. Thank you so very much Alex. I know that's what Rebecca would have wanted you to do."

He nodded humbly and looked down.

Just then, she heard a loud _thud _come from upstairs and lots of walking and yelling. She clutched Troy tighter in her arms, even though they were both still seated on the ground, Troy's unconscious head rested on Gabriella's shoulder as she struggled to pick him up. Alex whipped his head around and looked up to the ceiling. "What the hell?" he asked, bewildered.

Suddenly, it hit Gabriella. Just like a big cloud had popped in her mind. _Of course!_

She didn't know whether to be alarmed or happy. It was good for her, fantastic even, but bad for Alex. How would he explain himself? How could she _help _him explain himself?

"The police," she told Alex solemnly.

**

* * *

**

The police department from Albuquerque arrived on the scene swiftly and promptly. Right after Sharpay had crashed her car into the fence that allowed them to have a clear entrance into the Bolton estate. Sharpay had done a very good job of getting the job done.

Five officers now walked up to the estate, with police cars parked out front and Sharpay and Chad standing begrudgingly behind them. They waited for the five officers -two of them bulky men, one woman, and the other two slender young trainee's -to approach the door. After three sets of knocks, they decided to knock the door down. They did so and the five officers walked inside, there guns aimed and pointed and ready to shoot.

"You three upstairs," the Chief of the Albuquerque police department said, pointing to two bulky officers and one slender one. "Me and Bleu will take the basement." They all nodded and went their separate ways, taking their orders.

Bleu and the Chief walked down the basement stairs, guns pointing, taking slow, cautious steps as they walked down the cement stairs that lead to the cellar. They called "Police!" one time before opening the basement door. What they saw they would have never expected.

There, standing before them, was a tall, blonde haired boy who looked no older than his early twenties, holding a gun pointed at them. Next to him was a pretty yet petrified brunette, with tears coming down her cheeks and an unconscious boy in her arms. Right on the other side of the room, there lay a motionless body of another boy.

"Put the gun down son," the officer instructed him firmly.

"Why? Why should I listen to you? I'm going to prison for homicide anyway, why not go there with a few cops to my name too?" The light haired boy asked, his hands shaking making the gun shake as well.

"You don't wanna do this, son," the officer told him once again.

"Put the gun down kid," the female officer ordered him.

"Who says I don't?" the kid asked.

"Alex..." Suddenly, the brunette stood up on her knees. But not letting go of the boy's body that was in her arms. "You don't want to do this. Remember Rebecca? Rebecca... she wouldn't want this. You know that, don't you? Don't hurt yourself even more, Alex. It wont do any good."

"Yeah..." the kid said, looking down, troubled. "Yeah, Rebecca wouldn't want this."

"You're right." the brunette said again. "Now put down the gun and go peacefully with them, and I promise things won't be so bad anymore."

"Okay Gabriella." He slowly sat down and laid the gun down on the cement floor of the basement. He got back up again and held out his arms to the officers. They took his arms and immediately put them in handcuffs.

"Uh, Gabriella?" he asked turning around, making the police officers turn with him. Now other officers were running in and people were calling for back-up. The paramedics that had just arrived were picking the other boy up off the girls lap and placing him on a bed while the girl watched in horror and nervousness. But she looked up when Alex said her name.

"Yeah?"

"Will you uh.... when I.... when I'm in prison... will you come and visit me?" Alex asked vulnerably. And Gabriella just couldn't say no.

"Of course I will."

Alex nodded. "Okay."

And they took him out of the Bolton estate and into a police car waiting outside. Gabriella followed after Troy out to the waiting ambulance that would take him to the hospital and treat his wounds.

* * *

Sharpay walked around the Bolton estate, well, paced is more like it.

She had never been more nervous in her life. Not even when she preformed at the white house dinner when she was _seven. _She looked around the swarm of police cars and ambulances. Then she saw them.

Gabriella came rushing out of the house holding Troy's hand as he was rolled on his stretcher. She had blood all over her shirt and tear-stained, puffy eyes.

"GABRIELLA!" Sharpay screamed and ran over to her, engulfing her in a huge hug. Chad followed suit. Except he didn't scream,_ "Gabriella!"_ at the top of his lungs.

"Oh my God, Gabriella, we were so worried! What happened? Are you alright? Is Troy alright? What happened to him? Why didn't you answer my phone calls? Why are you crying? WHY IS THERE BLOOD ON YOUR SHIRT?!" Sharpay screamed at Gabriella, all at once, letting out the questions she had been wondering about since this morning.

"Whoa, there Shar. Take it easy. Let Gabriella have a moment of peace. Who knows _what _she's been through in the last twenty hours." Chad said.

Gabriella took a long, deep breath and slowly exhaled. "You guys seriously have no idea. But I'll tell you later, okay? Right now I need to be with Troy."

She walked over to the ambulance and hopped on board, despite what the paramedics told her. She had been through enough that she decided that no damn paramedic was going to tell her what to do. She grabbed Troy's hand and squeezed it. She knew somehow everything would work out alright. Somehow. After everything they'd been through the previous night, she and Troy deserved everything to work out.

But right now, she just needed to be with Troy. She could deal with the stress of everything else tomorrow. Because tomorrow, just has to be better than today_._


	11. Epilogue

**Hi everyone! Wow, the response for this story is not at all what I expected, and I thankyou for that. I thought I'd be lucky if one or two people other than family members or people I blackmail into reading my stories would even glance at it, and to have about 100 reviews is amazing. Unbeliveable, really. So thank you all. Thanks so much! xD**

**Okay, this is the epilogue as I'm sure you smart cookies have realized by now, and it's written in Gabriella's point of view, which is new and a little frightening for me, but it's always been my favorite stlye. I love writing both ways, don't get me wrong, but this one just comes more... naturally? Well, maybe that's just my opinion but I hope it comes off that way. **

**So, look on my profile for my next story preview and for a few other one shots if you're interested. **

**Adious! And gracias for reading! **

**xoxo,**

**Kiwi **

* * *

**Epilogue **

**Gabriella's POV **

It is still somehow a shock to me what happened. I can still barely comprehend it. It's like I'm watching some action thriller, only one where I can't press pause.

Only, this action thriller has a _good _ending. A happy ending.

After the police got to the scene, Troy was hurt pretty badly. He had countless bruises all over his body and needed stitches atop his head from a very bad blow that Derek had given him. He had a broken arm and a few broken ribs. But he's okay now. Thank God he's okay.

As for me, I wasn't hurt very badly. A few bumps and bruises here and there but nothing near bad enough to require a stay in the hospital. For which I was thankful for. We were already being burdened enough by the police and the local news stations and tabloids. We didn't need me staying in the hospital as well.

Alex was sentenced to prison for five years without bail. He's doing really well, and I know will be a great, great person when he gets out. I visit him once a month, just like I promised.

Derek's funeral was held soon after we escaped. Needless to say, Troy and myself didn't attend.

Troy's parents came back from Hawaii the Tuesday after all this happened. Since they couldn't be reached no matter how many times we called them, they were pretty shocked to find Troy laying in a hospital bed and their house being kept as evidence. To say the least, they weren't pleased.

In fact, I remember _exactly _what happened when Troy's mother and father arrived at the hospital to find Troy. Things were already chaotic for us, and the Bolton's' didn't really ease anything when they came up for a visit....

* * *

_Troy laid in a hospital bed, a huge bandage over his right eye and a cast on his arm. His legs were bandaged in plaster as well, but only because his bruises were so horrendous. _

_We were discussing what media magazines we would talk to about "the incident"-as we like to call it- after Troy would be released from the hospital. _

_"I say Teen People. Definitely. For sure, Teen People." I say, stating my ground._

_"Oh, you only want to do that magazine because Zac Efron was interviewed by them." Troy told me, rolling his eyes. _

_"That is so not true!" I say, although it so is. "I love that magazine and think they have great journalists with great artistic and creative writing abilities. It has nothing to do with the fact that a well-known heart throb was photographed and interviewed by them in the August 08 issue." My lips curve up at the end, because I can tell he knows I'm lying. _

_That's one thing that's good about this whole experience. I went through it with Troy. Troy and I know each other so well that we can say anything in front of each other, and even though this incident has been very traumatic, we can still laugh and smile about things. This isn't what our lives revolve around, and it never will be._

_"Sure. Right." he says, pretending along with me. "You know, I should totally take offense to this, because I'm your boyfriend; I'm the only guy you should look at like that. Not some well-known over-paid actor." he says, proud of himself for coming up with such big words, most likely. _

_"He is not over-paid!" I explode, "He deserves every penny he gets!" _

_Troy snorts at me. "Oh, okay. You're right. That hair must cost a fortune." _

_"Shut up!" I playfully shove him, on the arm that is not hurt, of course. "Don't be dissin' him Troy; you look exactly like him." _

_"I do not!" Now it was Troy's turn to explode. "We look nothing alike." _

_"Oh yeah? The hair... the eyes... the body... the skin! Hell, the face even." I point out to him, as he looks at himself astonished. I lean over his hospital bed and kiss him on the forehead. "Yes, you are both very handsome men."_

_He blushes. "That may be so, but I still don't think I look like him." _

_I chuckle at him when the door flies open. In come a very worried -and very tan from their trip to Hawaii I'm guessing -Mr. and Mrs. Bolton. _

_Mrs. Bolton gasps dramatically, like some soap opera star who's just walked in on her husband with another man. "Oh! My Troy! What in heavens name happened to you?" _

_Now, and I would never say this to Troy, but personally, I don't like Mrs. Bolton very much. It's not that she's rude or has ever been to me. It's just her lack of... heart, I guess. She doesn't really seem to care much about Troy. I mean, here they have tons of money and never have they taken Troy on one of their vacations. Which they take WAY to often, if you ask me. Mrs. Bolton seems hallow, and glass-like. I guess that's why I've always called her Mrs. Bolton and not by her first name. Same goes for Troy's father, Mr. Bolton. _

_"Brie and I were held hostage mom. I thought the police already told you." _

_"Oh, they did, but I didn't think it would be so bad! Oh, look at yourself! You look positively ghastly!" she exclaimed, much to my dislike. Troy was already beating himself up about so many things; he didn't need to be worried about his outside appearance too. _

_Mr. Bolton came up to Troy's bedside, looming behind Mrs. Bolton, who was already sitting atop Troy's bedside. _

_"How are you Troy?" he asked. _

_"Uh... good. I guess. You know... considering." Troy said awkwardly. _

_"Good." Mr. Bolton said and nodded. He looked around the room, uncomfortable. "So, uh... I think I'm gonna go into the office, now. I need to see what else I missed on our vacation."_

_Mrs. Bolton glanced at him. "Yes, you go right ahead dear. I'll take care of our little Troysie's." She baby-talked Troy, pinching his cheeks, which I could tell made Troy tense and uncomfortable. _

_"Mom, I'm uh... fine. I'm fine. I'll be outta here in about a week or so..." _

_"Yes, but, I would like to take care of you while you're here. Be a mother. Although I am, as you know, quite busy. I'll be here as much as I can Troysie. Don't you worry." She got up from Troy's hospital bed and went to open the shades of the blinds on the windows. "Well, lets get some light in here, shall we?" she asked us rhetorically. "Oh, Troy. Do you need someone to sleep over with you tonight?"_

_Troy was very quick to answer because I could tell he absolutely did not want his mother sleeping at the hospital with him. "Oh no, no, no. Gabriella! Gabriella is sleeping with me," he said, satisfied with the answer he'd come up with. He was at least, until his mother raised her eyebrows. _

_"No, no, no, no! That's not what I meant!" Troy quickly backtracked much to my amusement. "She's not sleeping WITH me. She'll be staying here. Sleeping... over there." He pointed to the little bed by the window on the corner of the room. _

_His mother nodded. "Okay Troy. If that works for you...."_

_"It works! It so works." he told her, excited that she wouldn't be staying with him overnight. _

_She walked closer to him sitting on his hospital bed. "Troysie, you are so brave. Oh, to be young and vibrant again!" She pinched his cheeks with her thumb and looked off into the white ceiling. "But, as I regret to tell you, I've got to leave. I'm sorry Troysie." She made a pout with his lips. While Troy tried to suppress a happy smile._

_"Uh, 'dat's okay." he struggled out, because his cheeks were still being pinched. "I'll be fine. Gabriella here will keep me company."_

_"Okay." Mrs. Bolton looked over at me. "Will you be leaving anytime soon?" she asks me._

_"Oh, no. I'll be here with Troy the whole time, I promise." I told her. _

_She smiled, what I assumed was a grateful smile - though it was hard to tell due to all the botox she's had over the years- and left the room. I looked over at Troy who breathed a sigh of relief and pretended to wipe sweat off his forehead._

_I laughed. "Are you seriously gonna make me sleep on that hideous bed in the corner?" I asked him, referring to the little quilt right next to a huge window with a large view that the hospital called a bed. _

_"No! You are sleeping..." He patted a spot on his bed right next to him, "right here."_

* * *

That was really the only stressful situation we had to go through, except for the magazine interviews and TV interviews. But I would hardly call those stressful. (And yes, we did go with Teen People!) But, anyway, Troy recovered rather quickly and was back to himself, playing basketball again in no time.

As for Yale? I discussed that with Troy. That was a big deal. Because according to Derek, Troy had paid the school for my acceptance. And even though it _was_ Derek who said that, I still for some reason didn't doubt it. Which led me to ask Troy, the night he was released from the hospital...

_

* * *

_

_I turned the radio that had filled the silence in the car for the last ten minutes down. I needed desperately to speak with Troy. _

_"Troy?" I asked, somewhat timidly. I was afraid of getting into an argument with him, especially since this was his first day out of the hospital. _

_"Hmm?" he turned his attention to me. _

_"Uh... so are you still planning on going to Yale in the fall?" I kept my eyes on the road. _

_"Of course. Absolutely. Why? You don't think I wouldn't want to go after this, did you? College is a whole four months away. That's plenty of time for us to recuperate." _

_"That's what I thought you'd say." I muttered. "Listen, Troy. Uh, did I really get into Yale? Did I truly? Or did you pay for my acceptance?" I asked him flat out. So much for me being discreet. _

_"What?" he asked, shocked. "Of course you did!" _

_I nodded, but for some reason that didn't reassure me. "Then why didn't my acceptance letter come earlier? Why was it so late?" _

_"Brie, I told you already. I took the acceptance letter because I wanted to surprise you and tell you we had both gotten in together," he insisted. "Why are you asking me all of a sudden?" he asked softly. _

_"Because..." I gripped the steering wheel tighter. "Because during the incident, when I was being held upstairs with Alex and Derek, Derek said that you had paid for my acceptance. I didn't believe it at first, but then I though, well why not? Why can't it be true? I mean, you have the money, and I know you'd do anything to make me happy. So I figured... that maybe you had... done that." I sighed and gripped the steering wheel even tighter, whitening my knuckles. _

_"Brie, I...." He paused for a few minutes, which seemed like a lifetime. Then he looked out the window and in a low voice, he said "I didn't want you to find out this way." _

_I nearly choked on the breath I was sucking in. "W-what? You paid the school? It -it wasn't a lie?" _

_He kept his face down when he answered. "Brie, I-I just wanted to make you happy." _

_"By lying to me?!" I asked, infuriated. _

_"No. It's just -well, when-" he sighed and looked up. "When the acceptance letter didn't come when mine did, I called the school. They said they never got your application and had no record of your name ever being on their list. I guess the letter must have gotten mixed up in the mail or lost, but they never got it Brie." He took a deep breath before continuing, "So, I told Yale that I would pay them if they accepted you anyway, and took in your letter late even though it was against the rules. And they did accept you. I'm sorry, Brie, if that makes you upset or angry. But I... I just couldn't have you be sad. I mean, you wanted to get into Yale so badly, and I wanted to be with you Brie." He looked down, obviously ashamed and scared for my reaction. _

_My heart broke at the sight. "Baby... baby, it's okay. It was really.... sweet, actually. I just.. can't believe it. I mean, how could they not get my letter?" I wondered aloud. _

_Troy shrugged in my direction. "I don't know babe. It just got lost or something. But the important thing is you got in. I didn't pay them to accept you into the school, I paid them to accept your application late."_

_I stared at the highway as I drove, stunned. Wow. So all that worrying had been for nothing. Geez. What a relief! _

_I smiled to myself and then at Troy. "I love you so much," I told him. _

_He smiled back at me, "I love you too," he replied. _

* * *

All those problems seem like a million miles away now.

Now Troy and I are at Yale -together. Everything has died down. And everything is wonderful.

Troy is healthy. I am healthy. Nothing can bring us down. Not ever. Not after what we went through.

After facing the worst, you can only come out stronger. And that's exactly what happened with Troy and I. We rely on each other more. We need each other more.

And after everything, we changed. Now, we are stronger. Better.

But most of all, we have each other, and that's all that matters.


End file.
